footing the bill

VERB

pay for

Synonyms

WEAK

bear the cost bear the expense finance pay the bill pick up the check pick up the tab pop for redeem spring for

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Kevin Simback of startup incubator Delphi Labs calls it the era of "subsidized intelligence" -- meaning investors were basically footing the bill so companies could offer AI on the cheap.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

Bezos has been footing the bill for the last 25 years, largely by selling Amazon shares.

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

"Not only will the Welsh Ambulance Service continue to be understaffed and likely continue to miss key life-saving response time targets, but taxpayers are footing the bill," he said.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Even the person footing the bill couldn’t quite comprehend how fast it all came together.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

He goes on to explain that he’s footing the bill for all these ‘castles in the air,’ as he calls them, gesturing to the paintings.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin