as in to pay off
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Recent Examples of pay down
Debt refinancing deals for AMC Theatres aim to give the movie theater chain breathing room on its balance sheet to pay down long-term borrowings.
—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2026
The Mexican-American War had left Mexico in dire financial straits; to pay down its debts, the Mexican government agreed to sell about 30,000 square miles of land in Arizona south of the Gila River, and in New Mexico west of the Rio Grande, for $10 million (about $400 million today).
—
Geraldo L. Cadava,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
Lamont, a fiscal moderate, has forced big surpluses to pay down Connecticut’s legacy pension debt, tens of billions amassed over 70 years prior to 2011.
—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
But some of that $125million may also be needed to pay down a net transfer debt of £360m — of which £209m is due within the next year.
—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pay down
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2026
The Mexican-American War had left Mexico in dire financial straits; to pay down its debts, the Mexican government agreed to sell about 30,000 square miles of land in Arizona south of the Gila River, and in New Mexico west of the Rio Grande, for $10 million (about $400 million today).
—
Geraldo L. Cadava,
The Atlantic,
20 June 2026
Lamont, a fiscal moderate, has forced big surpluses to pay down Connecticut’s legacy pension debt, tens of billions amassed over 70 years prior to 2011.
—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
15 June 2026
But some of that $125million may also be needed to pay down a net transfer debt of £360m — of which £209m is due within the next year.
—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pay down
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pay down
Verb
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That offensive strategy seemed to pay off—in North America at least—when Nike’s quarterly earnings exceeded Wall Street’s expectations.
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There was no storm on January 20th that might have sunk it; the engine was new, bought on credit, and recently paid off.
Verb
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If there isn't enough money to satisfy every creditor, state probate laws determine the order in which claims are paid.
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The Justices ruled the president cannot redefine birthright citizenship, and all children who are born in the United States, whether their parents are in the country legally or not, satisfy citizenship requirements in the 14th amendment.
Cite this Entry
“Pay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pay%20down. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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