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 pay off
Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Mooney would argue that risk paid off.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Other touring artists have squeezed Met Gala appearances into similarly punishing windows when the cultural payoff justified the cost.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pay off
Verb
Rethink the fridge for kid-friendly mornings The fridge is its own organizational project, and a small reset pays off all week — especially for kids who graze.
—Kansas City Star, 1 May 2026
Mooney would argue that risk paid off.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
Noun
Each month, the indictment says, a member of the Chapitos gang responsible for overseeing operations in Culiacán received a box stuffed with a large amount of cash, along with a list of corrupt officials who were supposed to receive the payoffs.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Other touring artists have squeezed Met Gala appearances into similarly punishing windows when the cultural payoff justified the cost.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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
Verb
-
The fine points of class-action law were, of course, less influential than Crenshaw’s insistence on paying close attention to the way Black women were treated by the courts, and the essay’s most memorable lines were broader categorical claims.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Americans are paying more for food, fuel, housing, and healthcare, while government grows larger, less accountable, and less competent.—
Kevin Fixler
May 3,
Idaho Statesman,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The ruling also stands in stark contrast to the decision earlier this month by a different 7th Circuit panel, which abruptly reversed the May 2023 convictions of former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain, who were accused of orchestrating the plot to bribe the speaker.—
Jason Meisner,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Sam Woodward Did your parents ever bribe you to get good grades?—
Sam Woodward,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Islam bars charging interest, so banks find other ways to ensure people get a return, often by offering bondholders a share of profits or giving lenders an ownership stake.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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But dismantling polluting industries, trying to clean up our air and our water, and imagining a health care system not driven by profit would take coordinated, radical restructuring.—
Hannah Kerman,
STAT,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The seven tracks on their first LP together are largely instrumental and instinctive, building a pivotal series of Miami recording sessions into a fresco of outsider rock, ambient, and avant-garde arrangement.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
-
McDonald didn’t bother hiding his happiness as KU’s defense stopped a pivotal fourth down late in the second quarter.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
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
-
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
Adjective
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Maher cited Walmart’s recent updates to its policies regarding Sparky, its own AI shopping agent, as a watershed moment for the industry.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Yeahs parlayed their New York hero status into career artists, the Mooney Suzuki, whose 1999 EP was heralded as a watershed moment for the scene, had the unfortunate fate of missing out on the boom.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Mars meets resistance from Jupiter, overcommitting creates unnecessary stress.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Reports in national dailies La Repubblica and Corriere della Sera did not indicate whether Rubio, a Catholic, would meet personally with Leo.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The people who can buy are increasingly the people who have someone to call.—
Blake O'Shaughnessy,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
And look, the only facts that distinguishes this case from those people buying things on Amazon or posting things on Amazon is not any particular facts that are not visible to the public.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pay off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay%20off. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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