as in earnings
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 payoffs
The latest earnings reports from major technology companies have revived investors’ concerns about payoffs on elevated artificial intelligence (AI) spending.
—
Tipranks, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
This was the same man who was accused of helping coordinate payoffs to Kelly’s accusers ahead of the 2008 trial.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2026
The house, in this case Santa Anita, does take money off the top to run the game but is not involved in determining the payoffs.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Setups, payoffs, and callbacks follow a strict logic, much like theater itself — nothing can break down, and even accidents have to be planned.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
Diamantis was found guilty by a federal jury after a first trial in October of taking payoffs for steering school construction contracts.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2026
And the role of state and national governments in fostering the construction of canals, railroads, river improvements and ports had substantial payoffs.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Adding more muscle has big payoffs.
—Will Stone, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
But as long as they are managed, the risks of cooperation should be worth the payoffs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Tipranks, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
This was the same man who was accused of helping coordinate payoffs to Kelly’s accusers ahead of the 2008 trial.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Jan. 2026
The house, in this case Santa Anita, does take money off the top to run the game but is not involved in determining the payoffs.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
Setups, payoffs, and callbacks follow a strict logic, much like theater itself — nothing can break down, and even accidents have to be planned.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 15 Jan. 2026
Diamantis was found guilty by a federal jury after a first trial in October of taking payoffs for steering school construction contracts.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 9 Jan. 2026
And the role of state and national governments in fostering the construction of canals, railroads, river improvements and ports had substantial payoffs.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 4 Jan. 2026
Adding more muscle has big payoffs.
—Will Stone, NPR, 26 Dec. 2025
But as long as they are managed, the risks of cooperation should be worth the payoffs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payoffs
Noun
-
Besides tightening its processes and setting up a traceability certificate system, Armedangels also used the profits from the collection to invest in digital monitoring solutions based on secure blockchain technology.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
13 Feb. 2026
-
That gravitational pull extended through much of Xi Jinping's first five-year term, when China still projected the promise of profits and opportunity more than political constraint and economic contraction.—
Dewardric L. McNeal,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That low approval, along with the lack of a de facto party leader, has led to a number of Democratic lawmakers offering their views on how the party can make gains among the electorate, particularly working-class voters.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The gains, however, varied widely across cities.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Additionally, hyperscalers, including Amazon , Microsoft , Meta , and Alphabet , announced capital expenditure of up to $700 billion on AI this year, which has raised concerns over returns and whether the extent of AI spend is justified.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Most Texans will set their clocks forward in just a few weeks as daylight saving time returns.—
Alexis Simmerman,
Austin American Statesman,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Payoffs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payoffs. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
