as in to pay
somewhat formal
to provide money for (something)
This will defray the costs.
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Recent Examples of defray
The road to revolution had begun for both in 1765 with the Stamp Act, Britain’s first serious attempt to impose taxes on Americans to defray the costs of the French and Indian War.
—
Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
In return, Allen’s company receives most of the commercial spots in the programs, which his company can sell to advertisers to defray its costs.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
That sum effectively defrays the production costs, while providing exclusive access to sports TV’s most clutter-free ad environment.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Subscription streaming, which started off as ad-free and relatively inexpensive a decade ago, has tilted toward advertising in recent years as prices continue to go up, in large part to defray the cost of sports rights and big-ticket programming.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defray
Literary Hub, 13 May 2026
In return, Allen’s company receives most of the commercial spots in the programs, which his company can sell to advertisers to defray its costs.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
That sum effectively defrays the production costs, while providing exclusive access to sports TV’s most clutter-free ad environment.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Subscription streaming, which started off as ad-free and relatively inexpensive a decade ago, has tilted toward advertising in recent years as prices continue to go up, in large part to defray the cost of sports rights and big-ticket programming.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defray
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defray
Verb
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The parliamentarian kept most of the immigration portion of the legislation intact, though some minor provisions were blocked, including Customs and Border Patrol funds to hire, train and pay Border Patrol agents.—
Mary Clare Jalonick,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
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The court also ordered them to pay Djena nearly three hundred thousand dollars in restitution.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Because those contributions are deducted at the 37% rate, the IRS subsidizes another $8,510.—
Teresa Ghilarducci,
Boston Herald,
18 May 2026
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Anthropic's June 15 credit-pool change signals that subsidized programmatic usage on subscription plans is ending across the industry.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Standing in attendance, like doctors in a teaching hospital, was a team of conservators funded by Save Venice, an American organization that works with local experts and authorities to preserve Venice’s artistic heritage.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
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The fund was passed by the legislature last fall in response to federal funding cuts that had resulted in food programs like SNAP, WIC and other programs that aided low-income Americans not being funded.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The all-day festival was financed in part by federal funds.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
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Del Toro’s dark, ravishing fantasy set in Francoist Spain — which had taken years to finance and produce, endured a brutal production and emerged from post barely in time — was the last film to screen in competition at that year’s festival.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defray.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defray. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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