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
Residents can request the HOA be turned over to them, but Pulte also currently pays off the HOA’s yearly budget shortfall, according to company officials.
—
R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
And sometimes, all that effort pays off.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2026
All that work building a mental map of London pays off in more ways than one.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
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
R. Christian Smith, Chicago Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
And sometimes, all that effort pays off.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 6 Feb. 2026
All that work building a mental map of London pays off in more ways than one.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pays off
Verb
-
The event pays tribute to Air Force Master Sgt.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Feb. 2026
-
The general public pays more for goods and services without the cheap labor of immigrants.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Feb. 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
-
Norton, his interest piqued, pays up to discover there is more like it at Ox Lake, 600 miles farther north in the open tundra known as the Barren Grounds.—
Malcolm Forbes,
Washington Post,
22 Feb. 2026
-
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
-
Then, when a child returns to the clinic a year later, the coordinator meets with them again.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
-
If the florals aren’t convincing enough, the base is grounded with patchouli and pink pepper for a spicy meets woody element that balances any overarching fruity sweetness.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Every city has a notorious nightclub or bar worth visiting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Every sentence has extra nuance, so stay aware of your word choice.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Real wages—what your paycheck actually buys—fall when the prices of most things rise.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Under the agreement, Meta also got the right to buy up to 160 million shares of AMD stock for 1 cent each, depending in part on how many chips Meta ultimately buys.—
Stan Choe,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 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 2 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
