as in to pay
to give what is owed for
despite having good credit, the couple still had to pony up a large down payment for the house
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pony up
Tony had asked for a 9% hike, and he’s gone to the state government seeking to force the county to pony up.
—
Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
The consensus in the business is that if David wants to best Netflix, Larry will need to pony up and increase the Ellisons’ offer.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In July, Wired reported that the apps are worth about $36 million thanks to paid users and free users, who pony up their personal data that is later sold to the highest bidder.
—Stacey Leasca, Glamour, 8 Dec. 2025
Some of them have placed measures on the ballot asking voters to pony up property-tax money for specific needs.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pony up
Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2026
The consensus in the business is that if David wants to best Netflix, Larry will need to pony up and increase the Ellisons’ offer.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
In July, Wired reported that the apps are worth about $36 million thanks to paid users and free users, who pony up their personal data that is later sold to the highest bidder.
—Stacey Leasca, Glamour, 8 Dec. 2025
Some of them have placed measures on the ballot asking voters to pony up property-tax money for specific needs.
—Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pony up
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pony up
Verb
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Those who make these claims apparently haven't been paying much attention these past four years, in particular to which side (hint, Russia) has been forced to shed most of that blood.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Only recently had many countries stopped treating solo female travelers as a problem to be managed, no longer refusing them hotel rooms when traveling without a man, or denying them credit cards to pay for it.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Five years later, that gamble has paid off — big time.—
Susan Stapleton,
Des Moines Register,
14 Feb. 2026
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Flagg benefitted from a rocky start as the team’s starting point guard, but those reps have begun to pay off.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Palladium provides more generous guest access for airport lounges (up to two complimentary guests without having to meet a high spending threshold).—
Jason Stauffer,
CNBC,
16 Feb. 2026
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Gilbert says that recently, someone told her about traveling alone in Asia and meeting another woman, in Thailand, who was also traveling on her own.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pony up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pony%20up. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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