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as in to bribe
to influence someone with a bribe
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in profit
the amount of money left when expenses are subtracted from the total amount received
the payoff on the investment was only about $500
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in pivotal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of pay off
Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
In the first category, persistence paid off for metal detectorists in Wales and Denmark, who uncovered a 300-year-old silver thimble engraved with a message of enduring love and a 1,500-year-old gold ring that may be linked to the Frankish Merovingian dynasty, respectively.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid Best for: Dryness, pores, and uneven tone
Think of face primers as one of your secret weapons to enhancing the color payoff of your makeup, and making your beauty look last longer.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pay off 
Verb
Prophecy Following up Denis Villeneuve’s two part feature film adaptation of James Herbert’s Dune with the ambitious Dune: Prophecy, which just wrapped up its six-episode arc on Max, was an expensive roll of the dice that seems to have paid off.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
In the first category, persistence paid off for metal detectorists in Wales and Denmark, who uncovered a 300-year-old silver thimble engraved with a message of enduring love and a 1,500-year-old gold ring that may be linked to the Frankish Merovingian dynasty, respectively.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
The news comes as more people question the value of higher education and are unsure whether the economic payoff is worth the rising college costs.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid Best for: Dryness, pores, and uneven tone
Think of face primers as one of your secret weapons to enhancing the color payoff of your makeup, and making your beauty look last longer.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pay off
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay off
Verb
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A lot of college football coaches probably paid it little attention, too.Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 22 Dec. 2024
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If the settlement gains final approval, participating colleges will directly pay D-1 athletes a revenue share reflecting media rights, ticket sales sponsorships and NIL.Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The suit has raised new questions about fairness in college admissions, evoking comparisons to the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, in which a slew of celebrities and business tycoons were embroiled in a massive fraud scheme to bribe their way into prestigious colleges.Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
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Sarkozy, a conservative who remains an important figure in French politics even after leaving office in 2012, had been found guilty by a lower court of trying to bribe a judge and of peddling influence in exchange for confidential information about a probe into his 2007 campaign finances.Reuters, CNN, 18 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Industrial profits are a key indicator of the financial well-being of factories, utilities and mines in China.Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Dec. 2024
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Selling an academy graduate would represent ‘pure profit’ from a PSR perspective, so Newcastle would have to consider offers for Sean Longstaff.Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Turkey's long-standing opposition to Kurdish autonomy remains a pivotal challenge.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
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Pendulum Rewards Liquidity is pivotal for any crypto payment platform to be affordable and transact quickly.Geoff Whitmore, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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By the time the convention met in Kansas City that summer, the challenger had almost closed the gap.Ron Elving, NPR, 28 Dec. 2024
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And since this man insists that all of the generals will be meeting at Lord John’s house for dinner that very night, Mrs. Figg requests that the young man help her in the kitchen.Lincee Ray, EW.com, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
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For example, Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard and many other firms create funds that bear their names, but these investments can be bought and sold at other brokerages.Liz Weston, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024
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Compare it to how Madrid paid a very similar sum, €103m, to buy England midfielder Bellingham from Dortmund a year earlier.Mario Cortegana, The Athletic, 29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Republicans have been blessed with the White House and both chambers in Congress — and Donald Trump’s decisive victory has given them a mandate.John Tillman, National Review, 27 Dec. 2024
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The decisive goal against Tottenham was almost perfectly ‘Forest’.Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Travis weeks earlier cited as the deciding and unprecedented factor.Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
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As a result of the split, Sheboygan city residents play no deciding role in either of the two districts, which both lean heavily Republican.Journal Sentinel, Journal Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near pay off
Cite this Entry
“Pay off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay%20off. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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