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
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
The effort appears to be paying off.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
In February, Pepsi cut prices on Lay's, Tostitos, Doritos and Cheetos by as much as 15% to try to win back shoppers; the efforts are paying off already.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
These considerations are paying off as handsomely as genuflecting to government power used to (and often still does).
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
For example, paying off overdue federal taxes or bringing a federal student loan out of default could prevent an offset entirely.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
To the contrary, the evidence showed that Aquarion customers will see immediate and sustained bill increases from the transaction, in addition to being saddled with paying off the debt service for decades to come.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
The sudden vacuum of hits from distance paying off, and consequent sudden drop in xG overperformance, coincided with the nosedive in the team’s form, resulting in three wins in the next 10 matches across all competitions.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Verb
Most of the early withdrawals stemmed from unexpected emergencies and paying off looming debt.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
The effort appears to be paying off.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
In February, Pepsi cut prices on Lay's, Tostitos, Doritos and Cheetos by as much as 15% to try to win back shoppers; the efforts are paying off already.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
These considerations are paying off as handsomely as genuflecting to government power used to (and often still does).
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
For example, paying off overdue federal taxes or bringing a federal student loan out of default could prevent an offset entirely.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
To the contrary, the evidence showed that Aquarion customers will see immediate and sustained bill increases from the transaction, in addition to being saddled with paying off the debt service for decades to come.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
The sudden vacuum of hits from distance paying off, and consequent sudden drop in xG overperformance, coincided with the nosedive in the team’s form, resulting in three wins in the next 10 matches across all competitions.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The moment causes Byron, a selfish and braggadocious villain, to have a change of heart, stopping shipments of The Beauty and paying off the families ravaged by its gruesome side effects, like Bella’s.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paying off
Verb
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Alan’s brother, Merrill Osmond, 72, was among those paying tribute.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
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Wrestlers operated as independent contractors, and this allowed the McMahons to avoid paying benefits.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In 2017, Lee was convicted of bribing then-president Park Geun-hye with almost $8 million to gain her support for a merger.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
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And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Lenders that do not charge an origination fee or prepayment penalties were given more weight.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
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In addition, the state’s new two-week prepayment review for medical assistance claims has resulted in some cost savings, Campbell said.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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At the same time, recent legislative changes have made federal student loans more restrictive, including fewer repayment options and stricter rules for debt forgiveness.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
22 Apr. 2026
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Through the lawsuit, filed Monday, the state’s Office of the Attorney General and the Maryland Department of the Environment are seeking civil penalties against DC Water, as well as repayment for the costs of cleaning up the river.—
Lily Carey,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This one was done by McCartney and Watt over in England, on a four-track machine that the star rescued from Abbey Road, buying it at a time when Thorn Electrical had taken over the studio and was cavalierly selling off the classic equipment and instruments, to his great chagrin.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Relying on public funding with low rates of reimbursement rates with a historically high supply of labor, home healthcare jobs typically have low wages, less than $35,000 annually.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 Apr. 2026
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Provider reimbursement rates were cut by $383 million.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paying%20off. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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