foot the bill

Idioms  

1. Pay the bill, settle the accounts, as in The bride's father was resigned to footing the bill for the wedding. This expression uses foot in the sense of “add up and put the total at the foot, or bottom, of an account.” [Colloquial; early 1800s]

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Example Sentences

So California taxpayers had to foot the bill for the state’s expansion, and a lot more people signed up than expected.

From The Wall Street Journal

In his crosshairs: the national health insurance scheme, which he suggests should foot the bill for hair loss treatments.

From BBC

Finding ways to foot the bill for such upgrades promises to be challenging, said Erik Porse, director of the California Institute for Water Resources, because it will also require convincing ratepayers who will bear the costs.

From Los Angeles Times

Belgium is currently opposing the idea of diverting these assets to Ukraine, as it fears contravening international law and being made to foot the bill should Moscow mount a legal challenge.

From BBC

Being sued as an individual means defendants must pay damages on their own, without the government helping to foot the bill – a potentially very expensive outcome.

From Salon