pay off 1 of 3

verb

Definition of pay offnext
1
as in to pay
to give what is owed for I finally paid off the loan

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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

payoff

2 of 3

noun

ˈpā-ˌȯf How to pronounce payoff (audio)
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

payoff

3 of 3

adjective

as in pivotal

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 pay off
Verb
That decision paid off, as the gorgeous album marries thoughtful and melodic production with deeply personal storytelling about the member’s families and upbringings. — Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 Nov. 2026 Borrowing against home equity or retirement savings Some borrowers are taking even more consequential steps to eliminate expensive debt, including tapping into home equity or retirement funds to pay off what's owed. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
And for clients, the potential payoff is better service at a lower cost. — Will Hausberg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026 From up here, the payoff is broad views across the surrounding mountains and wilderness. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026
Adjective
There’s little sense of forward motion in these tracks, but even when simply drifting in place, the blend of atmosphere and physicality—sunset glow meets seismic throb—is payoff enough. — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for pay off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay off
  1. pay
  2. bribe
  3. profit
  4. pivotal
  5. meet
  6. buy
  7. watershed
  8. decisive
Verb
  • The House can move the bill forward without requiring cuts elsewhere to pay for it.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2026
  • The lawsuit alleged that the facility violated the state's minimum wage and forced labor laws by paying detainees $1 a day to work at the facility, sometimes under threat of solitary confinement.
    — Christa Swanson, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of pay
Verb
  • Gill and Krukoff separately pushed their way into Indigenous communities, bribing or cajoling elders to forage vines and process toxic plant compounds known as curare.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • In exchange, the indictment said, the bettors bribed Beasley — and his debts to Davis were reduced or eliminated.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of bribe
Noun
  • Support extends to local communities through partnerships with One Horizon, a non-profit focused on poverty alleviation and women's empowerment, and the historic Nondies Rugby Club, Kenya's oldest rugby team.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The auto industry — from the companies to their customers — has been surprisingly resilient this decade, but there are fears that rising costs, weaker vehicle pricing and a more challenging market could threaten profits and growth going forward.
    — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of profit
Adjective
  • As a pivotal member of The Byrds and co-founder of The Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as through his short solo career, Parsons bridged the then-divide between country music and rock, bringing the raw emotionalism of country into rock’s bravado.
    — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Each episode will feature conversations with celebrities, entrepreneurs and cultural figures about the pivotal moments, unexpected challenges and personal decisions that shaped their careers.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of pivotal
Verb
  • The couple met in 2018 through a Mormon dating app and tied the knot the next year, before welcoming their first child, Nora, in November 2021.
    — Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Whether you’re headed to a Saturday tailgate, taking a leaf-peeping nature walk, or just meeting friends for dinner, there’s something for everyone.
    — Kate Donovan, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of meet
Verb
  • Although a committee of parents, teachers, students and other community leaders spelled out the need for the bond package, the voters didn’t buy in to it.
    — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also scrapped some ad buys in both states down the stretch, decisions that paid off as the party won both seats early on Tuesday night.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of buy
Adjective
  • What enters a watershed upstream can affect communities, ecosystems, wildlife and cultural resources downstream — including resources within our ancestral homelands.
    — Dana Adkins, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The watershed council commissioned a study, published in 2017 by Grand Valley State University, to evaluate the economic impact of the Huron River.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of watershed
Adjective
  • Democrats ousted Republicans from coast to coast, with many surprising places in between, in a decisive rejection of unified GOP control for the promise of something different for the country.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Democrats' decisive midterm wins are already making an impact on the economy and the markets — especially on real estate.
    — Christopher Farley, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of decisive

Browse Nearby Words

payments
pay off
payoff
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Cite this Entry

“Pay off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay%20off. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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