repay

verb

(ˌ)rē-ˈpā How to pronounce repay (audio)
Definition of repaynext
1
as in to reimburse
to make a return payment to I repaid my friend the $20 he had lent me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to pay
to make a return for how can we ever repay your kindness?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word repay distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of repay are compensate, indemnify, pay, recompense, reimburse, remunerate, and satisfy. While all these words mean "to give money or its equivalent in return for something," repay stresses paying back an equivalent in kind or amount.

repay a favor with a favor

In what contexts can compensate take the place of repay?

In some situations, the words compensate and repay are roughly equivalent. However, compensate implies a making up for services rendered.

an attorney well compensated for her services

When is indemnify a more appropriate choice than repay?

Although the words indemnify and repay have much in common, indemnify implies making good a loss suffered through accident, disaster, warfare.

indemnified the families of the dead miners

When can pay be used instead of repay?

While in some cases nearly identical to repay, pay implies the discharge of an obligation incurred.

paid their bills

When would recompense be a good substitute for repay?

The synonyms recompense and repay are sometimes interchangeable, but recompense suggests due return in amends, friendly repayment, or reward.

passengers were recompensed for the delay

When is it sensible to use reimburse instead of repay?

The words reimburse and repay are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reimburse implies a return of money that has been spent for another's benefit.

reimbursed employees for expenses

Where would remunerate be a reasonable alternative to repay?

While the synonyms remunerate and repay are close in meaning, remunerate clearly suggests paying for services rendered and may extend to payment that is generous or not contracted for.

promised to remunerate the searchers handsomely

When might satisfy be a better fit than repay?

The meanings of satisfy and repay largely overlap; however, satisfy implies paying a person what is required by law.

all creditors will be satisfied in full

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of repay Failure to comply with the loyalty pledge is punishable by requiring researchers to repay scholarships in full, creating a powerful incentive to toe the party line. —Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 7 Sep. 2025 The buyer must repay the full value of the tax credit to the IRS when filing a tax return. —Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025 And one five-time Grammy Award-winning artist is still trying to repay that debt. —Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 2 Sep. 2025 Her 13 senior appearances last term, including first starts in the Champions League and WSL, repaid their faith. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for repay
Recent Examples of Synonyms for repay
  1. reimburse
  2. pay
  3. reciprocate
  4. exchange
  5. satisfy
  6. compensate
  7. requite
Verb
  • Investors eventually demanded their money back, causing Artamonov to return less than $400,000 by paying original investors with money from new investors or by declining to reimburse them at all, the indictment said.
    — Dave Smith, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Most employees would fear losing their chance to be reimbursed, even at the expense of delaying activities linked to their primary job.
    — Rohan Joshi, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of reimburse
Verb
  • In 2022, things came to a head when the company not only failed to pay its vendors but also ceased communication with their customers.
    — Amanda Lauren, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • The buyers also agree to pay those growers a small premium that is passed down to their workers.
    — Max Blau, ProPublica, 16 Sep. 2025
Definition of pay
Verb
  • The Bears’ starting quarterback believes the locker room intends to reciprocate.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Position yourself as someone who adds value first, and people naturally want to reciprocate.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of reciprocate
Verb
  • But the carrier avoided big changes in the process and instead focused on a deal with its bondholders, which exchanged almost $800 million in debt for equity, and it was greeted after bankruptcy with persistently higher costs and weaker-than-expected domestic travel demand.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
  • The app gives owners the option to connect with the owners of their canine's relative, to exchange information about their pets or schedule a playdate.
    — Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of exchange
Verb
  • As a former investment banker at JPMorgan in London, he was dismayed with the lack of late-night delivery options that could satisfy his appetite working 100-hour weeks.
    — Preston Fore, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Consider the health plan that implements comprehensive provider data accuracy not to satisfy regulators, but to enable predictive network optimization.
    — Tammy Hawes, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of satisfy
Verb
  • Amber is offering $500 million to partially compensate Gold Reserve for its creditor claim.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
  • That’s roughly how much Sook was compensated as Nexstar’s chief executive in 2024, according to recent regulatory filings.
    — Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of compensate
Verb
  • But after years of wooing Silicon Valley, the Defense Department’s interest became requited, with companies like Amazon seeing opportunities to replace the government’s hodge-podge data centers with cloud computing, for which the Pentagon was offering a $10 billion contract prize in 2019.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2025
  • The individuals are putting money to work furiously, in individual stocks, demonstrating faith not in Trump, but in business, and it is being requited and will continue to be requited with higher stock prices.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 July 2025
Definition of requite

Browse Nearby Words

repatriations
repay
repaying
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Cite this Entry

“Repay.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/repay. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.

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