Synonym Chooser

How is the word repay distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of repay are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

In what contexts can compensate take the place of repay?

In some situations, the words compensate and repay are roughly equivalent. However, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When is indemnify a more appropriate choice than repay?

Although the words indemnify and repay have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When can pay be used instead of repay?

While in some cases nearly identical to repay, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When would recompense be a good substitute for repay?

The synonyms recompense and repay are sometimes interchangeable, but recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When is it sensible to use reimburse instead of repay?

The words reimburse and repay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

Where would remunerate be a reasonable alternative to repay?

While the synonyms remunerate and repay are close in meaning, remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When might satisfy be a better fit than repay?

The meanings of satisfy and repay largely overlap; however, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

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 repay Just as Oakland Unified stands poised to exit this summer from two decades of state receivership after repaying a $100 million loan, the current board majority has no plan to address a new $100 million annual structural deficit facing the district over the next three years. Anne Campbell Washington, Mercury News, 16 May 2025 This policy change, confirmed by the administration to MarketWatch, means that any Social Security income above $750 can now be taken to repay defaulted student debt, putting financially vulnerable seniors at risk of severe hardship. Shahar Ziv, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025 That is partly because Trump’s major gripe with Ukraine — that American taxpayers have mostly funded its defense — was soothed after the two nations struck a minerals deal that would go some way to repaying American military aid. Keir Simmons, NBC news, 15 May 2025 At a restitution hearing April 28, she was also ordered to repay the money, the attorney general said. Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for repay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repay
Verb
  • You can get reimbursed from your 529 plan for any eligible out-of-pocket expenses within the same calendar year.
    Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 14 May 2025
  • So far, Florida has made $250 million in grants available to reimburse local police departments that sign up to collaborate with ICE.
    Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • That hasn’t stopped companies from throwing millions of dollars in bonuses and pay packages at star researchers, according to seven sources familiar with the matter.
    Anna Tong, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • Next year Disney could be facing a marketplace that is even less receptive to pay a premium for ESPN as a sportsbook brand due to higher interest rates making a return on capital more difficult and the uncertainty tariffs create with consumer demand.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • Other countries reciprocated with comparable tariffs, which forced global trade to decline by 65% in 1933, the peak of the Depression that spawned a 25% unemployment rate in the United States.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2025
  • However, oxytocin levels don't rise from initiating interaction but only when their affection is reciprocated by their peers, which means dogs thrive on mutual companionship.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump exchange words during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on May 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.
    Gerald Imray, Fortune, 21 May 2025
  • As part of the task force, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network could issue alerts, exchange information with banks and refiners to stay updated on traffickers, and encourage trading entities to file reports on suspicious transactions.
    SASHA LEZHNEV, Foreign Affairs, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Interviews with the soldiers and Russian opinion surveys show that such a truce would also fail to satisfy a large part of Russian society.
    Anatoly Kurmanaev, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • Designed to satisfy North American tastes, Nutella Peanut will blend the traditional creamy recipe from 1964 with the flavor of roasted peanuts.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • As outlined in the court documents, Capital One did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to compensate affected customers for foregone interest and provide additional payments to those holding certain accounts.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025
  • And pitchers such as Banda have had to compensate as a result.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • Reflecting Lee’s turmoil as he’s tormented by heroin withdrawals and his not entirely requited affection for Allerton, the film is moody, and the sets reflect the interior landscapes of its characters.
    Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 16 Dec. 2024
  • In the book, the main character falls in love with an android that only pretends to requite his feelings.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023

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Cite this Entry

“Repay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repay. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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