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
Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
But VCs should be prepared to wait for their investments to pay off, according to Kuppers, with the ramping up of defense spending still a relatively new phenomenon.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Supporters argue the payoff would be substantial.
—Ben Jones, CNN Money, 8 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
His bat said that the work is perhaps paying off.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
But VCs should be prepared to wait for their investments to pay off, according to Kuppers, with the ramping up of defense spending still a relatively new phenomenon.
—Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
In 2023, podcast host Joe Rogan invited the two to debate — promising $100,000 to the charity of Hotez's choice as a payoff.
—Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Supporters argue the payoff would be substantial.
—Ben Jones, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payoff
Verb
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Social media companies and influencers paid to promote pharmaceutical offerings without proper disclosures will also be targeted by the federal government, according to CNBC, which cited unnamed senior officials.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The backslide is worse for Black women, who in 2024 were paid 65 cents for every dollar paid to White men.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to court records, Recio agreed to bribe Costanzo, who was the DEA supervisor in Miami, in exchange for his providing the private investigator with confidential information about narcotics investigations.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
29 Aug. 2025
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Reviewing fake CDLs experts say are sometimes issued by unscrupulous American trucking schools or bribed Mexican bureaucrats.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In August, the president announced a deal between the federal government and Nvidia, allowing the American chip producer to sell advanced semiconductors to Chinese buyers in exchange for a 15% cut of the profits.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Finally, profits should be adequately reinvested in the company with the goal to support cash generation in time.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The atmosphere was electric—a convergence of style, creativity, and community that underscored the growing influence of Black creators during one of fashion’s most pivotal weeks.—
Corein Carter,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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The initiative marks a pivotal step in advancing sustainable urban transformation and circular construction practices.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
13 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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An anime about a teenager avenging the deaths of his family at the hands of hordes of carnivorous demons wouldn’t usually be the sort of film which would be met with unanimous praise from critics.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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At first, the poster was happy to meet someone new and even adjusted the reservation to make space.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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With that in mind, the question of whether to rent or buy favors renting, to the tune of about $812 per month on average, which Zelman reckons is the biggest margin since the early 1980s.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Facing one of these situations late in the quarter, Hartman bought time scrambling to his right before finding Brown behind the defense on the sideline for a 38-yard pass to the 9-yard line.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the spring of 1997, Arundhati Roy’s debut novel, The God of Small Things, became an international sensation, marking a watershed moment in a new wave of Indian writing in English.—
Anderson Tepper,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
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This season was worthy of a watershed memory.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payoff. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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