ponying up

present participle of pony up
as in paying
to give what is owed for despite having good credit, the couple still had to pony up a large down payment for the house

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponying up
Verb
  • The nonprofit didn’t report paying any compensation to a staff or board, which includes two former Newsom aides, Steve Kawa and Jim DeBoo, as well as Sacramento Kings COO Matina Kolokotronis.
    Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 16 June 2026
  • Siobhan and Rekha collaborate to sort Oreos, but Grant spends this entire episode unwisely rushing into things and paying for it, mostly in humiliation.
    Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • Pascale’s playing is deeply measured, the years of classical training paying off, with not a hint of scratchiness to be heard.
    Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 11 June 2026
  • That development is paying off this season.
    David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
Verb
  • Kelly will receive the remainder of the $54 million owed to him after a lawsuit filed by Kelly claimed the school attempted to avoid paying up.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 27 Nov. 2025
  • Shoppers can also choose monthly payments if paying up front feels daunting.
    Malia Griggs, Glamour, 18 Aug. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Ponying up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponying%20up. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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