as in paying up
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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
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Recent Examples of paying off
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
All the hard work ended up paying off as Handy pulled off his wedding-day duties with ease.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 17 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
This approach is already paying off in some high-impact areas.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Colorado's efforts are paying off.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
All the hard work ended up paying off as Handy pulled off his wedding-day duties with ease.
—Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 17 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
This approach is already paying off in some high-impact areas.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Colorado's efforts are paying off.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paying off
Verb
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On average, paying cash for care could be cheaper especially with lower-cost options like telemedicine and urgent care.—
Jasmine Laws,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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With Apple Intelligence still months away from broad rollout and upgrade elasticity weakening, investors may be paying a premium for a business entering a slower-growth phase.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Police were dispatched to the scene and the owner eventually lured the pet back down to the ground by bribing it with a cookie.—
Ella Gonzales,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Oct. 2025
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The Department of Justice brought charges Thursday against the voting machine company Smartmatic, accusing it of allegedly bribing an official in the Philippines to win contracts, according to court papers filed in the Southern District of Florida.—
Olivia Rubin,
ABC News,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The owner doesn’t have to pay the prepayment penalty that is very common in commercial real estate.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The college’s spokesperson has not clarified what the repayment terms will be.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
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Whenever a local government offers a bond for sale, the three major credit-rating agencies—Moody’s, S&P, and Fitch—assess the government’s likelihood of repayment.—
Michael Waters,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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People are still buying books, young and older readers alike.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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Under the deal, users of the Amazon DSP (demand side platform) ad-buying system now have access to inventory on iHeartMedia’s streaming music and livestreaming radio channels.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The bill writes health reimbursement accounts into the tax code, giving small businesses more affordable and flexible health insurance options, according to NFIB.—
Cheryl Winokur Munk,
CNBC,
31 Oct. 2025
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Olmo also received a reprimand and a $1,000 fine, was charged $7,000 reimbursement of the Florida Department of Health’s case costs, and ordered to do five hours of continuing medical education in risk management.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paying%20off. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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