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
Whether or not that bullishness pays off against Argentina is more or less academic.
—
Jack Lang, New York Times, 8 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
That’s where expert guidance really pays off.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
While Gen Z hopes to make it to the top by job-hopping across companies, Maeztu has proved staying loyal pays off in the long-run.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
Jack Lang, New York Times, 8 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
That’s where expert guidance really pays off.
—Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
While Gen Z hopes to make it to the top by job-hopping across companies, Maeztu has proved staying loyal pays off in the long-run.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays off
Verb
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Its name, Albatross, pays tribute to the massive seabird known for its ability to travel thousands of miles across the open ocean without much wing-flapping.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
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This benefits Apple as Google pays the company billions per year to be the default search engine on iPhones.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bathsheba successfully forces one woman to kill her child but meets her match in the one-two punch of Lili Taylor and Farmiga.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
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Projections show a 'dire' future for the river Worst-case hydrology could also reduce the river's flows to a point where the water received by Lower Basin states and Mexico no longer meets the amount required by a century-old compact governing water use on the river.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While Cruz is still working to get Democratic sponsors for his bill, the issue has support from across the aisle.—
Emily Wilkins,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
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Brake gently as needed - Brake normally if the vehicle has anti-lock brakes and pump brakes gently if in an older vehicle.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Matt ultimately decides to go with another director and purposefully buys Scorsese's script — meant to be his final film — with the sole intention of killing the project.—
Carson Blackwelder,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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When the lifelong football fan buys a stake in the Toronto Argonauts, who go on to win the Canadian Football League’s version of the Super Bowl, there’s even more travel and responsibilities.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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