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
Not only is her delivery hilarious, but having Forest Whitaker’s daughter play an unabashed Hollywood nepo baby is a sly bit of meta casting that pays off big time here.
—
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Shopping discount/manager markdowns pays off Becky Shotts, 29, of Chattanooga, Tennessee has found savings by looking for discount markdowns by managers at her grocery store.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
The conceit is risky but pays off.
—Literary Hub, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Patience pays off in this situation.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Caroline Framke, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Shopping discount/manager markdowns pays off Becky Shotts, 29, of Chattanooga, Tennessee has found savings by looking for discount markdowns by managers at her grocery store.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025
The conceit is risky but pays off.
—Literary Hub, 31 Oct. 2025
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
Patience pays off in this situation.
—Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays off
Verb
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That is why the top area of the volcano is restricted, though not everyone pays heed.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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Meta pays the full costs for the energy used by its data centers so that consumers do not bear these expenses, and the company supports the broader grid through these energy agreements.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
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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Meanwhile, Netflix’s Tudum site described Gage’s character, Buck, as a wild child who meets Poppy and Alex during a camping trip.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Timeless Southern hospitality meets sartorial sophistication at this chic Buckhead hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This previously-$30 set of Merino wool socks already has an excellent value, but the new price point is even sweeter.—
Anna Popp,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
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The bakery has two trailers on the property that are used for housing and as a test kitchen for the bakers.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The couple also buys certain items in bulk from an organic food supplier, spending an average of about $300 a month on staples like rice, oats, olive oil, nuts and cheese.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
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Luminia would pay for the equipment, then CEA buys the power and delivers it to customers.—
Luke Harold,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
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 12 Jan. 2026.
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