as in pays
somewhat formal
to provide money for (something)
This will defray the costs.
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Recent Examples of defrays
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
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 10 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defrays
Verb
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Wells pays someone to mow her lawn.—
David A. Lieb,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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The state’s Next Level Jobs program pays the tuition for students to take classes for high-demand jobs, Dulin said.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Essential Air Service (EAS) is a federal program that subsidizes airlines to serve smaller communities.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Medicaid subsidizes most of the medical care for children with severe special needs.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ukrainian officials argue that oil revenue directly funds Moscow’s full-scale invasion of the country, now in its fifth year.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
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Addison, Highland Park and University Park residents had to choose whether to continue DART membership or to withdraw, reflecting ongoing concerns about rising costs, ridership levels and the value of the one-cent sales tax that funds the system.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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The remaining funds, about 11 million euros, will go to Fondation Recherche Alzheimer, which finances scientific programs aimed at understanding the mechanisms of the disease, developing new treatments and improving the quality of life of patients and their families.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
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Money from these programs finances a dozen or so drinking water projects each year.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defrays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defrays. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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