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

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
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
Ohio pays nursing homes a daily rate for Medicaid residents and provides additional payments to facilities that meet certain quality benchmarks. Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026 At the end of the evening all guests received a copy of the stunning new book Santo Domingo, published by the prestigious Assouline publishing house, which pays homage to the country’s vibrant capital city, its rich history, and its exhilarating future. Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026 The position reportedly pays $100,000 annually, though Uthmeier began teaching during the calendar year. Cbs Miami Team, CBS News, 10 June 2026 And no one pays attention to it—to understand what happened that drove Americans who had shed blood to free slaves in the 1860s to give so utterly up on them in the 1870s and after. David Frum, The Atlantic, 10 June 2026 Disneyland fans have spoken and their overwhelming love for the Happiest Place on Earth has prompted California state officials to move forward with plans for a specialized license plate that pays tribute to the Anaheim theme park. Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 10 June 2026 Its headline custom feature is an entirely new paint color called Jessie White Metallic that pays homage to the pearl buttons on her trademark western shirt. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 9 June 2026 Currently, the city pays $9 million. Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 9 June 2026 Inspired by Portugal’s traditional and contemporary flavors, Baleia also pays respect to the country’s seamen—generations of fishers, sailors and whalers—who traveled the globe and returned with culinary influence, especially from North Africa, China and the Caribbean. Jillian Dara, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Noun
Just to cover the city’s various bond measures, the owner of a home with an assessed value of $1 million pays around $1,145 annually. Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 Even with premiums, co-pays and deductibles, the federal government cannot afford Medicare-for-some. Editorial Board, Washington Post, 26 May 2026 In return, doctors offer a more thorough annual physical, same-day appointments, no co-pays and more time with the patient. Chris Tomlinson, Houston Chronicle, 7 May 2026 Health insurance plans are designed to include some level of cost-sharing, such as co-pays or co-insurance. Fennemore, Oc Register, 30 Apr. 2026 Tax revenue from sports gambling pays for water projects across the state. Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026 The final version of the bill walks back many of the more drastic changes that originally appeared in HB 2, including lowering co-pays, easing up on redetermination and allowing for hardship waivers. Keely Doll, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Apr. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays
Verb
  • The team developed a control method that compensates for this effect and maintains stable optical signals.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
  • There is no meaningful amount of last-minute effort that compensates for months of unfocused or incomplete readiness.
    Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 3 June 2026
Verb
  • Argentina plays the first game in Kansas City on June 16, and Ecuador meets Curacao here on June 20.
    Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
  • Situated where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, the charming seaside town has miles of beaches, nature and bike trails, and bird sanctuaries in Cape Henlopen State Park.
    USA TODAY Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • Magloire, who once dreamed of becoming a professional soccer career and has mixed feelings about the World Cup’s current state, nowadays spends more time thinking about movements on a stage than on a soccer field.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 13 June 2026
  • When a company spends that much political capital warning about existential risk, policymakers eventually act on those warnings.
    Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • High oil prices caused by the war with Iran already have sent inflation higher, which increases not only bills for households but also yields in the bond market.
    Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • High oil prices caused by the war with Iran have already sent inflation higher, which increases not only bills for households but also yields in the bond market.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 June 2026
Verb
  • The startup currently employs 150 people.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026
  • New jobs in Cabarrus County The Concord location employs 19 people with four open positions.
    Claire Harutunian, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • In turn, some of the NBA Finals ticket revenue will end up in a pot to be divided up by the league’s roughly 450 players, primarily in the form of their salaries, Matheson said.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 June 2026
  • The vast majority of SpaceX employees – many of them engineers who were paid below-market salaries in return for stock – have never had large wealth to manage.
    Robert Frank, CNBC, 9 June 2026
Noun
  • Providers must also cover rent or mortgage payments, insurance, food, utilities, supplies, maintenance and regulatory requirements.
    Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
  • In legal filings, Ohio Medicaid warned that recalculating the payments under the court's interpretation could cost about $285 million more per year than lawmakers originally intended, potentially approaching $1 billion over two budget cycles.
    Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 11 June 2026
Verb
  • The bond also has a maturity date, which is when the issuer repays the principal.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
  • The Creature repays the favor by using his strength to free the ship from its icy prison.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pays. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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