1
as in pays
to give what is owed for
I finally paid off the loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bribes
to influence someone with a bribe
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pays off
Get their money’s worth – make sure their major-league-leading $350 million payroll pays off.
—
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
Dodgers’ lineup construction pays off As last October neared, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts rearranged his lineup.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Quick fixes rarely work—but a patient, consistent approach pays off.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
The idea is that your hard work one night, pays off two-fold when leftovers can be easily turned into a second, different recipe, the next day.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
This shift requires discipline but pays off.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Patience pays off in this situation.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Cianfrance also spent years talking with the real Jeff Manchester from prison in the 15-minute intervals allowed in an effort to do justice to the story, and that level of research pays off.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
The band’s connection to Midwest emo from years past pays off in the album’s sincerity, especially in the moments that allow for stillness.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Mirjam Swanson, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
Dodgers’ lineup construction pays off As last October neared, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts rearranged his lineup.
—Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025
Quick fixes rarely work—but a patient, consistent approach pays off.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Sep. 2025
The idea is that your hard work one night, pays off two-fold when leftovers can be easily turned into a second, different recipe, the next day.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2025
This shift requires discipline but pays off.
—Sharon Wu, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Patience pays off in this situation.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Cianfrance also spent years talking with the real Jeff Manchester from prison in the 15-minute intervals allowed in an effort to do justice to the story, and that level of research pays off.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025
The band’s connection to Midwest emo from years past pays off in the album’s sincerity, especially in the moments that allow for stillness.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays off
Verb
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Long before their food arrives, Maggie asks for the check, pays, and walks out.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
17 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, the Queen B drink is a shoutout to Brittany Mahomes, the Showtime cocktail refers to Patrick’s lifelong nickname and the Big Yeti beverage pays tribute to Kelce’s pickup basketball nickname.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In one of the film’s most madcap and darkly comedic moments, Linda bribes her daughter with the promise of a pet hamster — who turns out to be a biter, desperate to escape its box.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Rolling Stone,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the most severe cases, the state pays up to $86,000 annually for a person’s home care, Reiskin said.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
20 Sep. 2025
Verb
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If Carr meets the moment, Notre Dame should have enough offense to pull away from USC during the second half and keep this season on the tracks.—
Pete Sampson,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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If a home's drain pipe breaks down, water can seep into the basement where the floor meets the foundation walls, Barrick said.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sennecke, Gauthier, and Kreider share the team lead with two goals, while Mason McTavish has four assists.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Oct. 2025
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Izabel, Penelope and Thomas James Earle II Alix Earle has a lot of love for her stepmom, Ashley Dupré.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Hundreds of women farmers Five years later, Nandudu now buys from over 600 women farmers, and several hundred male farmers too.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
17 Oct. 2025
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Of course, the initial buzz surrounding A Little Prayer could not be fully recaptured so long after its premiere — there’s a reason that big festival buys almost always result in releases within a year.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Everything about the scene seduces the viewer into what dining while traveling in the most luxurious fashion could be, and once was.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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In his youth, the blue-eyed Stamp was widely considered one of the most handsome men onscreen, and Italian director Pier Paolo Pasolini used that to peculiar effect in Teorema (1968), casting the actor as a nameless and wordless visitor who seduces an entire household.—
Rhett Bartlett,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pays off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pays%20off. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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