as in paying up
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in paying
to give what is owed for
I finally paid off the loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bribing
to influence someone with a bribe
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of paying off
Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
For the government, the investments in Feinberg were paying off.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Over the last four weeks, the Patriots have called almost 12 runs per game with an extra offensive lineman, and the extra beef is paying off.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
For example, your goal may be paying off $20,000 in student loans over the next three years, or perhaps automatically saving $100 every week for a whole year.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2025
The experiments were paying off.
—Katie Thornton, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
After years of struggling, cattle raisers are paying off debt and building out their operational infrastructures.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
Customers can enroll by putting down a $10 deposit, then paying off the overdue balance over 36 months, on top of the regular bill.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
The Dodgers' 2025 regular season did not go as many baseball experts expected, with the team battling several injuries throughout the roster and several big-money signings not paying off.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
Blueprint has garnered a global following for beating the market and paying off investors.
—Noelle Harff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Jan. 2026
For the government, the investments in Feinberg were paying off.
—Hanna Rosin, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
Over the last four weeks, the Patriots have called almost 12 runs per game with an extra offensive lineman, and the extra beef is paying off.
—Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
For example, your goal may be paying off $20,000 in student loans over the next three years, or perhaps automatically saving $100 every week for a whole year.
—Andreina Rodriguez, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2025
The experiments were paying off.
—Katie Thornton, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
After years of struggling, cattle raisers are paying off debt and building out their operational infrastructures.
—Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025
Customers can enroll by putting down a $10 deposit, then paying off the overdue balance over 36 months, on top of the regular bill.
—Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 17 Oct. 2025
The Dodgers' 2025 regular season did not go as many baseball experts expected, with the team battling several injuries throughout the roster and several big-money signings not paying off.
—Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paying off
Verb
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This hits home for us in Massachusetts, and residents should be paying attention.—
Jennifer Nassour,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Consumers are paying more attention than ever before.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But now, federal prosecutors say Hennen is the fixer behind the biggest point-shaving scandal in history, accused of bribing 39 college players, corrupting 17 programs and fixing — or trying fix — 29 games to enrich himself and other gamblers.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
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The indictment describes the fixers as the leaders of the scheme, which allegedly began in 2022 with a group bribing CBA players to influence games for wagering purposes.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For example, other lenders charge for prepayment penalties, which Gravity doesn’t.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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All rights reserved From repayment, to collections, to loan forgiveness, student loans have been buffeted by major changes during the last year.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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The company didn’t immediately comment when asked about the repayment status.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Kevin Carter | Getty Images Shrinking sales For more than a decade, consumers have been buying fewer groceries from the inner aisles of the grocery store, instead focusing on the outer aisles with fresh produce and protein.—
Amelia Lucas,
CNBC,
31 Jan. 2026
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Quito Anderson, a principal at the firm, told the Miami Herald Goddard is looking for developers interested in buying the land outright or working with the company on the project.—
Catherine Odom,
Miami Herald,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The casino said all workers also get paid time off, life insurance, tuition reimbursement and long-term disability insurance perks.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Azar said many of his clients have been asked to sign releases in exchange for reimbursement.—
Ashley Portillo,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paying%20off. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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