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
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Recent Examples of payoff
Korok Ray, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
All those contradictory moves paid off during the 12-day war.
—Karen Elliott House, Time, 10 July 2025
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 July 2025
Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area A bit of a drive, but the payoff is immense.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for payoff
Noun
The value of Bitcoin would be used to pay off existing debt, so what matters is the remaining Bitcoin value after debt repayment.
—Korok Ray, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
All those contradictory moves paid off during the 12-day war.
—Karen Elliott House, Time, 10 July 2025
Adjective
While there’s a slight learning curve (Campbell recommends watching a few how-to videos), the payoff is worth it: healthy-looking volume, shape, and shine, all with less damage.
—Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 5 July 2025
Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area A bit of a drive, but the payoff is immense.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for payoff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payoff
Verb
-
The company paid an average of $71,268 per coin, totaling $42.87 billion in investment.—
Cloris Chen,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
-
Florida’s Board of Medicine fined Romeu $10,000; ordered him to pay $6,722 in case costs; take two continuing medical education classes; and do 50 hours of community medical service.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 July 2025
Verb
-
In 1986, Amos Fiat and Adi Shamir proposed a way to use hash functions to address the audience’s other concern: that the student might have bribed the professor to pick certain boxes.—
Erica Klarreich,
Quanta Magazine,
9 July 2025
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Dopamine anchoring is, effectively, all about bribing yourself.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Wimbledon gives ninety per cent of its profits to Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association, to encourage participation in the sport and to support the next generation of élite players.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
12 July 2025
-
McIntyre has been touring his Chronically Online Podcast around the U.S. since January under an 0-1 visa, which is how most artists, comedians, or creators such as himself do so legally for profit.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Although initial discussions started around 1999, the pivotal moment came during the blackouts of 2001.—
David Blekhman,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Lorde, whose music is featured at a pivotal moment in the show, also attended a performance at the Booth Theatre last week.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
15 July 2025
Verb
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As Southeast Asian foreign ministers met in Kuala Lumpur on July 10-11, U.S tariff issues hovered over them like a menace.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
14 July 2025
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Japanese government officials have met with their U.S. counterparts seven times since Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's initial meeting with Trump at the White House in February, the Japanese government official said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Tech giants buying stakes in rivals attracts the attention of antitrust regulators, but hiring decisions do not, The New York Times reported; Google’s huge outlay is comparable to a soccer team paying a transfer fee to acquire a top player’s contract.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
14 July 2025
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Going beyond lazy, generic communication, the kind people snooze through or ignore, sets your company and leaders apart, and one day might buy you credibility in a crunch.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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The second set ultimately went all the way to a tiebreak, and after trading two mini-breaks apiece, the British pair gained a decisive two-point advantage, aided by a Pel double-fault.—
Leon Imber,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
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The idea that no one was born inherently superior, that status wasn’t tied to birth but to citizenship and shared rights, was a radical break in human history and a decisive rejection of Old World European ideology.—
Jared Nordlund,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, the person must show race was the crucial and deciding factor.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
-
The bullpen gave up the lead on the first pitch, and then three more in the deciding 10th inning.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payoff. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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