as in to pay
to give what is owed for
despite having good credit, the couple still had to pony up a large down payment for the house
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Recent Examples of pony up
Gabrielle Smith, age 28, was hit with a $5,000 bond, and Styx Hatch, 19, had to pony up $10,000 out of her trust fund.
—
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Getting people to pony up requires other pieces to fall into place, said Amol Mehra, director of industry programs at Laudes Foundation.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 30 Sep. 2025
One conundrum that lingers in the marketplace is that some indie theatrical distributors are without a pay-one deal/streaming partner, and the subset that’s willing to pony up — sellers cite Hulu, HBO Max and Starz — is quite small and capped in cash.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
When tax season rolls around, that means winners would need to pony up the full 37 percent of earnings.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pony up
Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Getting people to pony up requires other pieces to fall into place, said Amol Mehra, director of industry programs at Laudes Foundation.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 30 Sep. 2025
One conundrum that lingers in the marketplace is that some indie theatrical distributors are without a pay-one deal/streaming partner, and the subset that’s willing to pony up — sellers cite Hulu, HBO Max and Starz — is quite small and capped in cash.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
When tax season rolls around, that means winners would need to pony up the full 37 percent of earnings.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pony up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pony up
Verb
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This means any unpaid amount, whether utilities or other charges, can make an account delinquent because it must be paid at the same time as rent.—
Nora O'Neill,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
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Planting a vineyard in the Bay Area can cost between $30,000 and $80,000 per acre, but some are choosing to just leave them sit rather than pay to maintain them.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Denise Austin is celebrating nearly four decades in fitness and proving consistency pays off.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Their efforts paid off, with all three young ladies earning finals entrance and two conquering championship placements, according to a news release.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The minors were child actors who met Busfield on the set of the FOX series The Cleaning Lady, where Busfield served as a director, according to the arrest warrant, issued by Officer Marvin Kirk Brown.—
Liza Esquibias,
PEOPLE,
13 Jan. 2026
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Jeff Brady, executive director of communications for the district, said Tiger Team Two met at least once a month from September to December to discuss and evaluate school enrollment, the capacity and upkeep and condition of each campus, finances and boundaries for each school.—
Fousia Abdullahi,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pony up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pony%20up. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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