pays 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of pay
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

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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
4
as in yields
to produce as revenue an investment paying six percent

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

pays

2 of 2

noun

plural of pay

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 pays
Verb
Prince Andrew ⬆ Stripped of titles, evicted from his mansion, becomes Andrew Mountbatten Windsor—yet King Charles pays his rent at Sandringham for life. Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025 When a customer pays cash and doesn't have exact change, the purchase total is rounded down by as much as two cents or up by as much two cents. Mike Snider, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025 Selph in particular faulted the payment structure for most emergency room doctors, which pays a base rate plus an additional amount per patient encounter. Ciara McCarthy 30, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2025 The collection pays tribute to basketball heritage, ’90s streetwear and the cultural connection between sport and fashion. Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025 Winding up the triple bill with James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein pays appropriate tribute to the era of the Universal Monsters while also prepping you for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s upcoming The Bride! Damon Wise, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2025 And pays very, very well indeed. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025 Alphabet currently pays Apple billions of dollars a year to do so. Steve Kopack, NBC news, 28 Oct. 2025 The general fund also pays for parks, trash pickup, public works, code enforcement, and the county’s administrators and management staff, according to budget documents. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
She’s canceled or postponed doctor’s appointments, chiropractic care and vet appointments to avoid co-pays or bills piling up. Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025 Costs will be passed on to other customers, raising premiums and co-pays. Eric Snoey, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025 An administrator told state officials that hospital leaders knew of the staffing shortages before opening the additional operating rooms, but the facility struggled to hire and keep employees because the salaries UCHealth pays are below market rate, according to the reports. Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 17 Oct. 2025 That’s a little pricey for those core parts, but much of the cost pays for the laptop’s high-end materials and hardware features. Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 5 Oct. 2025 Amazon said that will reduce weekly contributions by 34% and co-pays by 87% for primary care, mental health and most non-specialist visits for employees using the basic plan. Dave Smith, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025 Proof that staying current pays. Joseph Coughlin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 While his premiums are very low, his deductible and co-pays for things like prescriptions for insulin equipment run hundreds of dollars per month. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025 The bill will also require people with incomes above the poverty line to pay out-of-pocket co-pays for most Medicaid services, such as lab tests or doctor visits. Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 4 July 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays
Verb
  • No details on the scope of shape of the talks were forthcoming, but it is known Germany’s production sector has long been seeking an agreement with streamers that better compensates producers, writers, directors and other creatives in film and TV.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Even if not at their maximum crop yield, protein-rich beans, pumpkin flesh, and pumpkin seeds yield additional protein that compensates for the slightly diminished crop yields.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Still, Luna’s harmonious trine to the sun in Scorpio reminds us that there’s so much more than meets the eye.
    Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • This is the promise of the process developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which output a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which meets all current industry standards without requiring blending with fossil fuels.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In fiscal 2025, Starbucks reported a 1% decline in same store sales in China, weighed down by 5% decrease in the average amount of money a customer spends per transaction.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2025
  • Everybody spends the same amount of money.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • One recipe yields about 3 1/2 cups, which is enough to frost the tops and sides of two 8- to 9-inch cake layers.
    Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Oct. 2025
  • That contrast, between how meticulously Reichardt builds her story and the way her protagonist pinballs through his, yields a remarkably precise exploration of hubris as a self-destructive force.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Sheridan’s deal employs him on the film side until March 2026 and in the television space through 2028.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 31 Oct. 2025
  • His social enterprise, Southside Blooms, transforms vacant lots into eco-friendly flower farms and employs 25 local young people to grow, arrange, and sell flowers at the group’s nonprofit flower shop.
    CNN Money, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • According to Sine, those fees primarily covered the salaries of three Blueprint employees working on-site within the university’s athletic department.
    Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Some hefty salaries left the club this summer, including Kévin Cabral, Chidozie Awaziem and Djordje Mihailovic, who together combined for nearly $5 million.
    Braidon Nourse, Denver Post, 29 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Not only have debit and credit card payments become more popular with Gen Z, but so have buy-now, pay-later (BNPL) services.
    Sydney Lake, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
  • Trump officials' focus on recouping payments from defaulted student loan borrowers was a reversal of the Education Department's strategy under former President Joe Biden, which centered more on providing borrowers with additional options to get current on their bills.
    Annie Nova, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The city repays the bondholders over time, plus interest, using property taxes.
    Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images What To Know The program repays up to $20,000 in student loan debt over four years, according to HESAA.
    Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pays. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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