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Definitions

pay off

















VERB
work off
Synonyms
WEAK


NOUN
discharge
Synonyms
Antonyms


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.

You've got to work hard and do it yourself and persevere at the end of the day, and if you keep working hard it will pay off.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

Chauhan hopes to pay off his mortgage by the time his child is 18 years old and be able to pay for college with his income at that point.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

That debt has been paid down to $617 million, which the museum will pay off by 2050, although Govan said, “We can pay off the current debt without raising another nickel.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

But the data suggests patience could pay off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

The only means to pay off their debts was through labor on plantations and farms—known as convict leasing—or in prisons that had been converted to work farms.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander