paying 1 of 3

Definition of payingnext

paying

2 of 3

noun

as in payment
the act of offering money in exchange for goods or services the actual shopping was quick, but with the long lines, paying for the stuff seemed to take forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

paying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of pay
1
as in compensating
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received we need to pay the cashier and then we can leave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in giving
to produce as revenue an investment paying six percent

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paying
Adjective
The idea is to remove non-paying riders, often who are homeless, mentally ill or taking illicit drugs, from the system. Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026 All roles are open and non-paying. Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 14 Jan. 2026 Customers will still be able to preload $35 for unlimited seven-day travel onto an OMNY card — riding free after paying for 12 trips in any seven-day period — though pre-paying is not required for the unlimited rides. Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026 Under Niccol, Starbucks has brought back its tradition of baristas doodling on cups in Sharpie pens; reinstated self-serve milk and sugar stations; cut 30% of the food and drink menu; ended its open-bathroom policy for non-paying customers; and laid off 1,100 corporate employees in February. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 So, while a paying customer willing to spend $100 on a coin bundle will typically receive around 100 Sweeps Coins as a bonus, the non-paying customer who mails in a postcard is capped at 5 Sweeps Coins – a nominal amount. Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
The inevitable capitalistic evolution of the House settlement that allowed for the paying of athletes guaranteed there would be winners and losers, and the winners are – no surprise – the signal-callers. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026 Balanced growth, roads and other infrastructure, continuing a positive approach to economic development, attracting industry and high paying jobs. Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025 Notably, Ditto is the best paying of the three, but doesn’t accept freelancers from California, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
More than 500 customers are paying Anthropic at least $1 million annually for Claude, according to a recent investment announcement that valued the company at $380 billion. Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026 In some cases, paying with cash can save you 10 cents-or-more per gallon. Keith Laing, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026 But the Raiders, whose offensive line was among the NFL’s worst last year, was willing to reset the market by paying Linderbaum an average annual salary of $27 million. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026 According to estimates from Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy, gas has jumped by an average of 50 cents per gallon, and Americans will spend $200 million more collectively this week than last, simply by paying more at the pump. Dallas Morning News, 9 Mar. 2026 More than 500 customers are paying Anthropic at least $1 million annually for Claude, according to a recent investment announcement valued the company at $380 billion. Matt O'Brien, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026 Diners are paying $1,500 per seating for the pop-up that sold out almost immediately. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026 This should be exciting news for the one in six Americans who deal with infertility, especially those without health insurance or who are paying out of pocket because of inadequate coverage. Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 9 Mar. 2026 K’Lavon Chaisson is available, too, but paying players after a breakout season is generally a fool’s errand. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paying
Adjective
  • And thanks to the economic changes to F1—a cost cap limits spending in several areas including car research and construction—Williams was profitable in 2022 and 2023, and relatively close to break-even in 2024.
    Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 7 Mar. 2026
  • Clothing for Resale There was a time when reselling secondhand clothing, especially vintage or designer, could be quite profitable.
    Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 7 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • But a 2022 commission decision reduced this payment by about 75%.
    Malena Carollo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • When the first day of a month falls on a weekend or holiday, these payments are issued on the last business day of the previous month.
    Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In compensating for the loss of sight, the visual cortices of blind people can also perform similar functions as those of sighted people, but for non-visual stimuli.
    Sachin Rawat, Big Think, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Zamora Yrala was also barred from serving as a company director for eight years and faces confiscation proceedings aimed at compensating affected companies.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • The New York Times reported this week that the Assembly of Experts, a body tasked with selecting Khamenei’s replacement, was considering announcing Mojtaba as his father’s successor after meeting for deliberations.
    Jasmine Green, NBC news, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Much like meeting Skarsgård, Reinsve remembers being just as scared about her character upon first read of Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt's script.
    Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Carmen Mejia, who was declared innocent after spending more than 20 years behind bars for a wrongful conviction in a child's death in Texas, faces deportation to her native Honduras because her immigration status lapsed while she was incarcerated, her attorneys said.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Mar. 2026
  • At the time, several regional experts told me that top security and political figures inside the Iraqi Shiite militias and the Houthis were limiting their use of technology, using burner phones and spending minimal time online to prevent Israel from tracking them.
    Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The universe is giving us space to integrate new desires without losing compassion for others.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2026
  • The up-and-coming It girl is giving a masterclass in 90s nostalgia while giving it a fun, modern twist that is just so contagious.
    Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Those lackluster results have come despite employing both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, two of the best players of their generation.
    Matt Moret, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
  • And autonomous drones are on the frontlines in the Russia-Ukraine war, with both Russia and Ukraine employing some variation of autonomous technology.
    Jake Angelo, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Rather than using on-track performance to generate lucrative partnership opportunities, Brown flipped the model on its head.
    Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 7 Mar. 2026
  • While at present, the greater collector-car market might be charitably described as less than lucrative, Porsche cars and collectibles remain a bright—and guiding—light in that landscape.
    Robert Ross, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Paying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paying. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.

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