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 The operator model pays off when the delivery network is complex enough that the decisions being made inside it—or being made poorly, or not at all—are materially affecting cost and customer experience. — Nishith Rastogi, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 That's why saving money on some parts of your vacation without compromising on the overall quality of the trip definitely pays off. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 21 July 2026 Upon approval, the new lender pays off your existing loan and then assumes the remaining balance. — Becca Stanek, TheWeek, 8 July 2026 Research suggests wildfire mitigation work pays off. — Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026 Sometimes that strategy pays off. — Claire Zillman, Fortune, 28 May 2026 Work with an agent who knows Charlotte Local expertise pays off in negotiation. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026 Furthermore, Sharpe spent six months learning how to tinkle the ivories, an impressive commitment which pays off during the pivotal piano battles and ensures a welcome absence of clumsy cutaways from fingers to face. — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 8 May 2026 Until 2037 the effective rate will be closer to 28%, as the city pays off debts related to a separate, previous set of incentives. — Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays off
  1. pays
  2. bribes
  3. pays up
  4. has
  5. meets
  6. buys
  7. seduces
Verb
  • Every year, the Community Services District pays for engineer’s reports that outline each LLAD’s budget and calculate how the costs will be divided among property owners.
    — Haley Parsley August 9, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Risk maps and early warning systems cost relatively little, and a storage park pays a dividend every dry day as ordinary public space.
    — Ravi S. Bhalla, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 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
  • By contrast, Social Security pays up to $62,172 a year in 2026.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • Under current rules, each venue pays up to $15 million annually.
    — Christopher Damien, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
Definition of pays up
Verb
  • Ryan Hawk is the host of The Learning Leader Show, which is regularly ranked among the top business podcasts in the world and has millions of listeners annually.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 5 Aug. 2026
  • My mom has great style year round, but the fall is when her wardrobe really shines.
    — Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of has
Verb
  • The South Asian country meets nearly 85% of its fuel needs via imports and with Strait of Hormuz a key supply route prior to the war.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Tropical meets fruit punch in this stunning scent by Ellis Brooklyn.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of meets
Verb
  • The $55 billion deal — part-funded with $20 billion borrowed against EA itself — buys Riyadh a profitable business and control of some of the biggest franchises in the world’s biggest entertainment industry.
    — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The oldest version of the fight is pay-to-win, where money buys advantage over other players.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of buys
Verb
  • This is not the beautiful creature who seduces Odysseus in the poem.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In the video, then-23-year-old Gugino plays a young woman who, after her rock star boyfriend cheats on her with her best friend, seduces an artist painting her portrait.
    — Scott Huver, PEOPLE, 12 July 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 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on pays off

Nglish: Translation of pays off for Spanish Speakers

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