payoff

1 of 3

noun

pay·​off ˈpā-ˌȯf How to pronounce payoff (audio)
1
2
: the act or occasion of receiving money or material gain especially as compensation or as a bribe
3
: the climax of an incident or enterprise
specifically : the denouement of a narrative
4
: a decisive fact or factor resolving a situation or bringing about a definitive conclusion

payoff

2 of 3

adjective

: yielding results in the final test : decisive

pay off

3 of 3

verb

paid off; paying off; pays off

transitive verb

1
a
: to pay (a debt or a creditor) in full
b
: to give all due wages to
especially : to pay in full and discharge (an employee)
c
: bribe
2
: to inflict retribution on
3
: to allow (a thread or rope) to run off a spool or drum

intransitive verb

: to yield returns

Examples of payoff in a Sentence

Noun You'll have to work hard but there'll be a big payoff in the end. We expected more of a payoff for all our hard work. We made a lot of sacrifices with little payoff. Several city officials have been accused of receiving payoffs from the company. He lost his factory job but received a payoff and a pension. Verb I finally paid off the loan. she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
My mortgage payoff story: My husband and I paid off the house in the spring of 2023 thanks to making extra payments and taking advantage of a mortgage recast. Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 The debt payoff journey McCarthy got her first bachelor’s degree in business management in 2018. Jasmine Li, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 The legal drama spun around the question of whether Trump’s lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, who had made the payoff to Daniels by drawing on his home equity, was reimbursed illegally with campaign funds. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 The new plan delays the payoff of the system’s $3.4 billion in pension debt from 2040 to 2042. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024 Loan payoffs: -$67 million Trump has paid off four loans on various properties since the 2021 report laying out his cash balances. Kyle Mullins, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 That would be the ultimate payoff of his work this offseason. Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 While the website offers anyone a fascinating glimpse into Google, its payoff to the company is uncertain. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 20 Feb. 2024 Old-school horror filmmaking: slow build, big payoff. Zack Sharf, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
The borrowers who've been hit with these offsets on their Social Security checks are typically people who have been struggling for years to pay off their debt. USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024 Going against Trump did not pay off for one of the candidates. Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 20 Mar. 2024 Typically, the 6% commission (typically 3% for the seller’s broker and 3% for their own agent) was passed on to the buyer in the overall cost of the home, which buyers can pay off over decades in their mortgages. David Goldman, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 Others whose homes are paid off are going without insurance altogether, to spare the expense. Amy Green, WIRED, 16 Mar. 2024 That means banks will have to refinance, extend, or pay off these loans. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 The radical optimism of fans hoping for a new Dua Lipa album has finally paid off. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 13 Mar. 2024 In Germany and Italy, the company allows households to pay off their heat pump over 10 to 15 years, but those plans include interest. Olivia Rudgard, Fortune Europe, 12 Mar. 2024 Politics How, and when, should San Diego pay off its $3.4B pension debt? David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'payoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1932, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1607, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of payoff was in 1607

Dictionary Entries Near payoff

Cite this Entry

“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payoff. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

payoff

1 of 2 noun
pay·​off
ˈpā-ˌȯf
1
2
: the last and most interesting part of an incident
the payoff of a story

pay off

2 of 2 verb
(ˈ)pā-ˈȯf
1
: to pay in full
pay off a mortgage
2
: to produce a profit
investments that pay off

Legal Definition

payoff

1 of 2 noun
pay·​off ˈpā-ˌȯf How to pronounce payoff (audio)
1
: the act or an instance of paying someone off : bribe compare kickback
2
: the act of paying a debt or creditor in full
would release the lien upon the payoff of the balance

pay off

2 of 2 transitive verb
1
: to pay (a debt or credit) in full
the loan was paid off
2
: bribe

More from Merriam-Webster on payoff

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