1
2
as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in profit
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received
the payoff on the investment was only about $500
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pivotal
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of payoff
Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2025
TikTok star Charli D'Amelio's competitive dance background paid off for her and pro Mark Ballas, who were declared the season 31 winners.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
To say any more about the plot would spoil the surprises, but the real payoff in this play isn’t the science.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payoff
Verb
Not wrong for much of the last three decades — but Saturday night’s gig, and all the joyous revelry surrounding it, showed why the Live ’25 Tour has been payoff enough for none of them to look back in anger at any of it.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
Noun
Her careful attention to nature and the art of blending paid off; this vintage received ratings of 94, 97, and 99 from a variety of renowned scoring publications.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2025
TikTok star Charli D'Amelio's competitive dance background paid off for her and pro Mark Ballas, who were declared the season 31 winners.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
But the potential financial payoffs are often much greater than a corporate salary.
—Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2025
To say any more about the plot would spoil the surprises, but the real payoff in this play isn’t the science.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payoff
Verb
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Past contestants have confirmed that pay increases as the season progresses.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Two seasons ago, Detroit opted to throw him to the wolves, and his reputation started to pay the price.—
The Athletic NHL,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In May, Coinbase revealed that cybercriminals had bribed a few of its overseas customer support agents to leak customers' personal data.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
19 Sep. 2025
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Executives and employees from a strip club operator are facing charges for allegedly bribing a New York official with free trips and private dances.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Like many political advocacy groups, it’s organized as a 501(c)3 non-profit; the IRS does not require such groups to publicly disclose detailed expenditure accounts.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
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Eras Tour concert movie from filmmaker Sam Wrench made a profit of $172M net, and that was with a $75M streaming deal on Disney+.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, senior White House officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.—
Aamer Madhani,
Fortune,
21 Sep. 2025
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As to how Corvette will maintain its legacy, Charley Robertson said showing up for the fans and enthusiasts is pivotal.—
Jackie Charniga,
USA Today,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fast-food restaurants, once the first stop for Americans looking to get at least one meal in before a long work day, are fighting to win back customers.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
1 Sep. 2025
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Compared with Let’s Move’s easygoing recommendations—children should get at least one hour of physical activity each day, and everyone should drink one more glass of water—MAHA is also considerably more macho.—
Tom Bartlett,
The Atlantic,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump is also expected to meet with other foreign leaders throughout the week, including Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who will be a prominent new addition to the gathering.—
Mariam Khan,
ABC News,
22 Sep. 2025
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The two met aboard a flight to one of former Dodgers manager Joe Torre’s charity events.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The suspects wrongly identified Reynolds’ group as the individuals involved in an earlier drug deal in which $250,000 in counterfeit money was used to buy cocaine.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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More than 3,000 Amazon shoppers just bought the Mohomo Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner, a lightweight, easy-to-maneuver model that users say is plenty powerful.—
Clara McMahon,
PEOPLE,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The election was something of a watershed moment for prediction markets, and the industry has gone from strength to strength ever since.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Many see Kirk’s assignation as a watershed moment for the country.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payoff. Accessed 25 Sep. 2025.
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