as in paying up
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in paying
to give what is owed for
I finally paid off the loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bribing
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 paying off
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of the early withdrawals stemmed from unexpected emergencies and paying off looming debt.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
The effort appears to be paying off.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
In February, Pepsi cut prices on Lay's, Tostitos, Doritos and Cheetos by as much as 15% to try to win back shoppers; the efforts are paying off already.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
These considerations are paying off as handsomely as genuflecting to government power used to (and often still does).
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
For example, paying off overdue federal taxes or bringing a federal student loan out of default could prevent an offset entirely.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
To the contrary, the evidence showed that Aquarion customers will see immediate and sustained bill increases from the transaction, in addition to being saddled with paying off the debt service for decades to come.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
The sudden vacuum of hits from distance paying off, and consequent sudden drop in xG overperformance, coincided with the nosedive in the team’s form, resulting in three wins in the next 10 matches across all competitions.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
Patrick, your recent comments about the liberation of paying off your student loans have gotten a ton of traction online.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Most of the early withdrawals stemmed from unexpected emergencies and paying off looming debt.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
The effort appears to be paying off.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
In February, Pepsi cut prices on Lay's, Tostitos, Doritos and Cheetos by as much as 15% to try to win back shoppers; the efforts are paying off already.
—Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026
These considerations are paying off as handsomely as genuflecting to government power used to (and often still does).
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2026
For example, paying off overdue federal taxes or bringing a federal student loan out of default could prevent an offset entirely.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
To the contrary, the evidence showed that Aquarion customers will see immediate and sustained bill increases from the transaction, in addition to being saddled with paying off the debt service for decades to come.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2026
The sudden vacuum of hits from distance paying off, and consequent sudden drop in xG overperformance, coincided with the nosedive in the team’s form, resulting in three wins in the next 10 matches across all competitions.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paying off
Verb
-
Talking about more than academics, Joyce said CLC’s project to build the Advanced Technology Center in Gurnee, teaching skills for well-paying jobs and a major expansion to the Waukegan campus have made a difference in helping to build the workforce.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Lawyers who represent Silicon Valley’s biggest AI firms are paying attention.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2017, Lee was convicted of bribing then-president Park Geun-hye with almost $8 million to gain her support for a merger.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
16 Apr. 2026
-
And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lenders that do not charge an origination fee or prepayment penalties were given more weight.—
Jasmin Suknanan,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
-
In addition, the state’s new two-week prepayment review for medical assistance claims has resulted in some cost savings, Campbell said.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lazere argues Fair Elections rules may have barred such a move or required fuller repayment of public funds before another campaign.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Apr. 2026
-
That means looking into 20-year mortgage terms too, which may be able to combine the shorter repayment period and improved rate that many borrowers can benefit from.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Many online comments said higher prices would not deter them from buying condoms to protect against pregnancy.—
Sean Nevin,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Institutional investors have been criticized for driving up home prices, but there is little evidence that their presence is impacting the rising costs of buying a home.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Medicaid authorization rules and reimbursement rates don’t currently support a simple transition to two 12-hour shifts.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
ThinkTechAct’s founder, Mahad Ibrahim, pleaded guilty to defrauding the free food reimbursement system through his feigned nonprofit group as part of the Feeding Our Future network.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paying off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paying%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
