paywall

noun

pay·​wall ˈpā-ˌwȯl How to pronounce paywall (audio)
: a system that prevents Internet users from accessing certain web content without a paid subscription

Examples of paywall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
At roughly $85 per month, placing NFL games behind that paywall would significantly reduce the league’s reach. Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026 How much will be behind the paywall of the Paramount-Warner app? Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 May 2026 Meanwhile, as trust in journalism collapses and most of the actual reporting disappears behind paywalls, readers head straight for the comment sections, which seem more like the voice of the people than anything written by a reporter — except many of those commenters may not be people at all. Lane Brown, Vulture, 15 May 2026 Whether Romangic converts that friction into a compelling argument for its annual plan or loses users at the paywall, could influence WayShot’s trajectory more than any feature update. Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for paywall

Word History

Etymology

pay entry 1 + firewall

First Known Use

2004, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of paywall was in 2004

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Paywall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paywall. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

paywall

noun
pay·​wall ˈpā-ˌwȯl How to pronounce paywall (audio)
: a system that prevents Internet users from accessing certain Web content without a paid subscription
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