1
as in pays
to give what is owed for
I finally paid off the loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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
-
Skandalakis, meanwhile, warns that the hourly rates being requested by defense attorneys far surpass what Georgia typically pays when appointing conflict counsel.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
-
His most recent Instagram post is from 2024 and pays tribute to his deceased bandmate, Liam Payne.—
Elizabeth Logan,
Glamour,
13 Jan. 2026
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
Verb
-
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
-
Lockheed Martin revealed that the NGSRI offering is being developed as a 21st Century Security solution that meets all soldier safety and performance needs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
-
As Mercury meets Jupiter, avoid allowing potential blind you to reality!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
The victim of his sacrifice is Gretchen, a virgin whom Faust seduces and abandons in his devilish reverie, and who kills their illegitimate child.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
-
The film follows the deliciously immoral, widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), who maneuvers, deceives and seduces her way through London and across her relatives' country estates in an effort to find a wealthy husband for herself and her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark).—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
29 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pays off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pays%20off. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
