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
  • China also pays plasma donors, but caps donations at every fortnight, up to 24 times a year – far fewer times than the US, where donors can roll up their sleeves up to twice a week, 104 times a year.
    — CNN Staff, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • If their income is between one and two times the federal poverty level, Central Health pays the balance of their monthly premium after federal tax credits have been applied.
    — Olivia Aldridge, NPR, 23 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
  • Phillips’ job, which pays up to $264,000 a year, could be the first test.
    — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • By contrast, Social Security pays up to $62,172 a year in 2026.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of pays up
Verb
  • Bristol Myers Squibb, or BMS, has a program to make its drugs available in lower-income countries.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Historically, the ruling party in Nigeria's presidential elections usually has a higher chance of winning when the race features more than one prominent opposition candidate.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of has
Verb
  • Rudolf is the standout pacemaker in Europe, touring the continent to be a ‘rabbit’ for top athletes, most notably at Diamond League meets.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The Illinois Tollway board, which meets today, is expected to green-light a steep increase in tolls.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of meets
Verb
  • Flock Homes, which buys homes that are then pooled in a REIT-style fund, is getting a new headquarters at 1521 Blake St.
    — Max Scheinblum, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Veno is the executive director of the Group Insurance Commission, the entity that buys health care for more than 460,000 public employees and retirees in Massachusetts.
    — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 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 26 Aug. 2026.

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