1
b
2
: the act or occasion of receiving money or material gain especially as compensation or as a bribe
3
: the climax of an incident or enterprise
specifically
: the denouement of a narrative
4
: a decisive fact or factor resolving a situation or bringing about a definitive conclusion
paid off; paying off; pays off
1
a
: to pay (a debt or a creditor) in full
b
: to give all due wages to
especially
: to pay in full and discharge (an employee)
c
: bribe
2
: to inflict retribution on
3
: to allow (a thread or rope) to run off a spool or drum
: to yield returns
Synonyms
Examples of payoff in a Sentence
Noun
You'll have to work hard but there'll be a big payoff in the end.
We expected more of a payoff for all our hard work.
We made a lot of sacrifices with little payoff.
Several city officials have been accused of receiving payoffs from the company.
He lost his factory job but received a payoff and a pension.
Verb
I finally paid off the loan.
she paid off the security guard so that she could steal whatever she liked
Recent Examples on the Web
Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
The upfront cost for the tooling was high, but in the long run, the payoff will be in products that are cost competitive with Asia.
—Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
The big payoff Freshman cornerback Kanye Clark could have gone to a lesser football program, having been recruited by teams from the Mountain West and Big Sky conferences.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
But solving the mystery may bring a tremendous payoff.
—Quanta Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
In fact, though, big expensive development projects that produce a payoff only years later are the very nature of the airplane-making business.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
With so little effort and such high payoff, these little egg bites stand as a reminder of how versatile these mixed frozen vegetables really are.
—Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The payoff pitch was another slider, only this time left hanging right down the middle.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
After that payoff, Cenat kept the remaining $39,000 in cash and drove to his home in Boynton Beach.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
Limmer switched from right guard to center last season at Coach Sam Pittman's suggestion and the move is likely to pay off.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Star knew her efforts were paying off during a moment when her son was throwing a tantrum.
—Keyaira Boone, Essence, 24 Apr. 2024
The water-cooler nature of the episode paid off in the ratings, as SNL hit some of its best numbers of recent years.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
The Broncos will pay off Wilson, who joined the Steelers at the cost of a few Pittsburgh pierogies, while also bearing his salary-cap charges of $53 million this year and $32 million in 2025 — gargantuan sums that otherwise could’ve gone to other players.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
Pecker again let Cohen know about the story and suggested paying off McDougal.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
The cotton’s pest-resistant qualities were already paying off.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
But Parmigiani’s steady commitment to horological excellence is paying off.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024
Noun
The band had to sacrifice a degree of spontaneity to hit its marks, which surely frustrated some fans – but the magical payoff was worth it.
—Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
The upfront cost for the tooling was high, but in the long run, the payoff will be in products that are cost competitive with Asia.
—Journal Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2024
The big payoff Freshman cornerback Kanye Clark could have gone to a lesser football program, having been recruited by teams from the Mountain West and Big Sky conferences.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
But solving the mystery may bring a tremendous payoff.
—Quanta Magazine, 11 Apr. 2024
In fact, though, big expensive development projects that produce a payoff only years later are the very nature of the airplane-making business.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
With so little effort and such high payoff, these little egg bites stand as a reminder of how versatile these mixed frozen vegetables really are.
—Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024
The payoff pitch was another slider, only this time left hanging right down the middle.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
After that payoff, Cenat kept the remaining $39,000 in cash and drove to his home in Boynton Beach.
—Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 27 Mar. 2024
Verb
But second-year coach Kenny Dillingham and his staff’s persistence in recruiting — and doing it within the guidelines of the NCAA rules — paid off.
—Jon Wilner, The Mercury News, 26 Apr. 2024
Limmer switched from right guard to center last season at Coach Sam Pittman's suggestion and the move is likely to pay off.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 25 Apr. 2024
Star knew her efforts were paying off during a moment when her son was throwing a tantrum.
—Keyaira Boone, Essence, 24 Apr. 2024
The water-cooler nature of the episode paid off in the ratings, as SNL hit some of its best numbers of recent years.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
The Broncos will pay off Wilson, who joined the Steelers at the cost of a few Pittsburgh pierogies, while also bearing his salary-cap charges of $53 million this year and $32 million in 2025 — gargantuan sums that otherwise could’ve gone to other players.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2024
Pecker again let Cohen know about the story and suggested paying off McDougal.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
The cotton’s pest-resistant qualities were already paying off.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2024
But Parmigiani’s steady commitment to horological excellence is paying off.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 19 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'payoff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near payoff
Cite this Entry
“Payoff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payoff. Accessed 1 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
pay off
2 of 2 transitive verb1
: to pay (a debt or credit) in full
the loan was paid off
2
: bribe
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