pays off

verb

present tense third-person singular of pay off
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

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 off Meta and Microsoft prove why patience pays off Not every tech stock got slammed last week. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2026 The obvious effort that Pascal spent practicing the cello pays off in the scenes where Alex intensely plays the instrument for his own private reasons, as if asking the same thing of himself. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026 This opaqueness from earlier in the season pays off in the form of John recounting the brutal methods the Manhunter used to decimate this planet, involving a fear gas that made people kill one another and jump to their deaths. — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026 Quarterly reporting cycles do not reward discipline that pays off over a longer horizon than a single reporting period. — Hiren Dhaduk, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026 And despite the reputation, not every bet pays off for Moody. — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026 Whether that trade actually pays off depends on your vehicle, your driving habits and how the numbers line up against real repair-cost data. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026 Being able to bring directing ideas into the writing itself, and getting a handle on the complex psychological stakes the writers had built in, so they could be properly showcased later, saves a lot of time and usually pays off. — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026 Becoming a regular pays off more than any one-off negotiation. — Lauren Schuster, Sacbee.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays off
  1. pays
  2. bribes
  3. pays up
  4. has
  5. meets
  6. buys
  7. seduces
Verb
  • And the city is backing a ballot initiative of its own, Measure AT, which would eliminate a $15-million cap on the 10% admission tax on ticket sales the stadium pays.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • That’s, like, half of what Heather pays for house slippers — that is a single designer slipper.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of pays
Verb
  • 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
Definition of bribes
Verb
  • When backed by the federal Hydrogen Production Tax Credit, which pays up to $3 per kilogram of clean fuel, these factory installations become viable immediately.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026
  • If approved, the company pays up to the plan’s coverage limit.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of pays up
Verb
  • Chinander said his staff has been studying film of Moore’s time as OC at Missouri in 2025, while Danielson also has notes from facing Moore during the latter’s time as OC with Fresno State in 2022.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
  • At the same time, more than nine in 10 Americans say the federal government has the power to make a positive impact on society — suggesting many believe the current administration is not making use of that power.
    — Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of has
Verb
  • From Tuesday through Saturday, he can still be found in the kitchen in full effect, ensuring every meal meets his exacting standards.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Case still meets listeners in their teens and early 20s who single it out.
    — Cary Baker, SPIN, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of meets
Verb
  • Pair a winning culture of a respected NBA franchise with a top five talent like Giannis Antetokounmpo and blockbuster is supposed to happen, if the main characters stay healthy, everyone buys in, and the sports Gods are kind.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Blacksmith instead buys its own machines, tens of thousands of them, according to Jayaprakash, and installs them in data centers around the world.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of buys
Verb
  • Artificial plays like a modern-day parable in which the trickster god seduces the innocent.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Diaz centers music as the emotional vehicle that provides a philosophical structure for the character tropes and in turn psychologically seduces the audience to internalize certain ideas of social dynamics.
    — Damaly Gonzalez, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of seduces

Browse Nearby Words

pays (for)
pays off
pays up
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Cite this Entry

“Pays off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pays%20off. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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