1
as in paid
to give what is owed for
I finally paid off the loan
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in bribed
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
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Recent Examples of paid off
The pressing finally paid off in the 48th minute when Forney sophomore Addison Staats picked the pocket of a Carroll player, raced 30 yards down the left side and threw a perfect cross to Kalani Brundage who was all alone, 5 yards in front of the net.
—
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
The hard work put in over several years paid off with a miracle season that included only one regular-season game loss.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Apr. 2026
The data shows that Americans also paid off credit card debt and topped off their savings accounts, along with paying for essentials like groceries and rent.
—Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
And by the time the principal and interest are fully paid off, in 2048, public payments for the team will total slightly less than one and a half billion dollars.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
The Tribune analysis found little evidence that the strategy has paid off financially, with the city eventually agreeing to settle the vast majority of cases.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The effort paid off, and Midjourney hired him as a software engineer in 2023.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
The Gulf’s investment in fertilizer paid off, as by 2026, much of the developing world was reliant on Gulf fertilizers.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
Coach Brad Underwood’s emphasis on recruiting in Eastern Europe has paid off in this tournament.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2026
The hard work put in over several years paid off with a miracle season that included only one regular-season game loss.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Apr. 2026
The data shows that Americans also paid off credit card debt and topped off their savings accounts, along with paying for essentials like groceries and rent.
—Stephan Bisaha, NPR, 4 Apr. 2026
And by the time the principal and interest are fully paid off, in 2048, public payments for the team will total slightly less than one and a half billion dollars.
—Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
The Tribune analysis found little evidence that the strategy has paid off financially, with the city eventually agreeing to settle the vast majority of cases.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The effort paid off, and Midjourney hired him as a software engineer in 2023.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
The Gulf’s investment in fertilizer paid off, as by 2026, much of the developing world was reliant on Gulf fertilizers.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2026
Coach Brad Underwood’s emphasis on recruiting in Eastern Europe has paid off in this tournament.
—ABC News, 28 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paid off
Verb
-
An earnings tax is a tax paid on income earned by a person, like salaries, wages, tips and investments.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Athletes have largely won the freedom to transfer almost at will via the portal along with the ability to be paid by schools that are now doling out more than $20 million a year to their athletes.—
Mark Long,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to grand jury transcripts disclosed by the DOJ from the criminal case against Noel, an FBI agent testified banking records of the guards were examined, and there was no evidence that Noel or Thomas had been bribed.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
13 Mar. 2026
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Husted was Ohio's lieutenant governor-elect in early 2019, when prosecutors claim Jones and Dowling bribed the late Randazzo in exchange for legislative and regulatory favors.—
JULIE CARR SMYTH THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Molly was safely transported back to the mainland, where Johnston met her, and the two had an emotional reunion after an eight-day ordeal.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The two friends met years ago while working for different social justice organizations.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paid off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paid%20off. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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