1
as in compensates
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received
we need to pay the cashier and then we can leave
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in meets
to give what is owed for
you ought to pay that bill before it's overdue
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in spends
to hand over or use up in payment
rock fans were willing to pay enormous sums to get into the concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in employs
to provide with a paying job
pay someone to mow the lawn for the summer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in salaries
the money paid regularly to a person for labor or services
it's difficult to support two children on her pay
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in payments
something (as money) that is given or received in return for goods or services
we should demand pay for all the overtime we're putting in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pays
Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But the team then pays for it later, as the cap number that got eliminated from one year gets redistributed throughout the rest of the term of the deal.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
The state also plans to discontinue the part of the program that pays for patients’ health insurance premiums.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Registration and other vehicle fees also make up 17% of the Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for road projects, according to MVA.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
California pays the nation's highest price in taxes on gas.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
The sequel strips Grace of what made her special and merely pays lip service to the first one’s worldview, representing the antagonists as generically incompetent hedonists.
—Michael Ordoña, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Mar. 2026
That comparison can be misleading, however, because insurance rarely pays that price and even people without insurance typically get discounts.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Meta pays subcontractor Sama, based in Nairobi, Kenya, to manually label videos taken by Ray-Ban smart glasses.
—Yunus Emre Tozal, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Lower doses also mean lower spending — both for the patient (who is responsible for co-pays) and CMS.
—Mark J. Ratain, STAT, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s why the insurance marketplace to ensure there were no co-pays on routine office visits, age-appropriate health screenings or vaccines.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Enrollees in this form of coverage face no premiums, co-pays or out-of-pocket costs.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026
Urgent care usually has higher co-pays than a regular office visit, but will not be as expensive or take as long as an emergency room.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
However, Myers could owe much more in out-of-pocket costs due to $80 co-pays and an $8,000 deductible.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
While Medicaid covers it in Colorado, commercial plans may charge co-pays.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025
Urgent care visits typically require insurance co-pays or out-of-pocket costs; these costs are generally higher than regular doctor visits but generally lower than the ER.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
Verb
Not everyone pays for Prime Video and Netflix, while others have cut the cord and don’t have cable.
—Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
But the team then pays for it later, as the cap number that got eliminated from one year gets redistributed throughout the rest of the term of the deal.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2026
The state also plans to discontinue the part of the program that pays for patients’ health insurance premiums.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2026
Registration and other vehicle fees also make up 17% of the Transportation Trust Fund, which pays for road projects, according to MVA.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
California pays the nation's highest price in taxes on gas.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
The sequel strips Grace of what made her special and merely pays lip service to the first one’s worldview, representing the antagonists as generically incompetent hedonists.
—Michael Ordoña, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Mar. 2026
That comparison can be misleading, however, because insurance rarely pays that price and even people without insurance typically get discounts.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Meta pays subcontractor Sama, based in Nairobi, Kenya, to manually label videos taken by Ray-Ban smart glasses.
—Yunus Emre Tozal, Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
Additionally, 80% said all health care costs -- including premiums, deductibles, co-pays or coinsurance -- are higher.
—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Lower doses also mean lower spending — both for the patient (who is responsible for co-pays) and CMS.
—Mark J. Ratain, STAT, 3 Mar. 2026
That’s why the insurance marketplace to ensure there were no co-pays on routine office visits, age-appropriate health screenings or vaccines.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Enrollees in this form of coverage face no premiums, co-pays or out-of-pocket costs.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 21 Jan. 2026
Urgent care usually has higher co-pays than a regular office visit, but will not be as expensive or take as long as an emergency room.
—Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 15 Jan. 2026
However, Myers could owe much more in out-of-pocket costs due to $80 co-pays and an $8,000 deductible.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
While Medicaid covers it in Colorado, commercial plans may charge co-pays.
—Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 30 Dec. 2025
Urgent care visits typically require insurance co-pays or out-of-pocket costs; these costs are generally higher than regular doctor visits but generally lower than the ER.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays
Verb
-
The tip compensates that labor directly.—
Ryan Brennan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Mar. 2026
-
When energy expenditure increases, the body often compensates by stimulating hunger.—
Claudio Villanueva,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Arab Media Forum, scheduled for April, has been postponed to September 2026, with organizers saying the decision was taken to ensure the event meets its scale and ambition.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Dinner in Carrick goes elevated at The Oarsman, a modern Irish standout, or cozier at The Red Bank, where local produce meets a candlelit garden setting.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Marty is self-absorbed, forgetful, doesn’t much like people and spends hours online looking for advice about how to be a handyman.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The first two will be built in Finland while the company spends between $700 million to $1 billion to renovate the shipyards in the ports of Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While the iron catalyst must be removed after processing, the method yields more graphite and is financially viable, according to techno-economic analysis published in Bioresource Technology.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Mar. 2026
-
This yields a lot of clever dialogue—and yet.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Wade now will join the renegade row of coaches at LSU, which also employs football rapscallion Lane Kiffin and women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The worker, who didn’t want her name used because she was not authorized to speak with reporters, has been doing this all without a paycheck, because a partial federal shutdown has halted funding to the agency that employs her, the Department of Homeland Security.—
Roxana Popescu,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Santa Clara’s salaries for sheriff, medical examiner, county assessor, budget director and head of IT were also all higher than Mecklenburg’s as of 2024.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
31 Mar. 2026
-
If salaries alone are any indication, demand for the best of the best talent has never been higher.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Mapletree Global Student Accommodation Private Trust, almost three years after halting regular payments to investors, finally came to an end on March 16, according to documents seen by Bloomberg News.—
Low De Wei,
Bloomberg,
26 Mar. 2026
-
For months when the first day of a month falls on a weekend or holiday, these payments are issued on the last business day of the previous month, like March’s payment.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Creature repays the favor by using his strength to free the ship from its icy prison.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The city repays the bondholders over time, plus interest, using property taxes.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pays. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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