pay for
Britishverb
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to make payment (of) for
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(intr) to suffer or be punished, as for a mistake, wrong decision, etc
in his old age he paid for the laxity of his youth
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Cover the expenses of, defray the cost of, as in I'll pay for your movie ticket , or This truck will pay for itself within a year . [Mid-1300s]
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Atone for, suffer for, as in He may have looked like a good manager, but his successor will end up paying for his mistakes . [Late 1600s]
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.
That means that if the building’s elevator collapses or there is a fire that severely damages the building, homeowners are on the hook to pay for the repairs.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
She attended Pasadena City College, where she studied film production, then used the residuals from the show to help pay for her tuition at NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The war-torn country initially used its own revenues to pay for defence spending but has increasingly relied on foreign backers for these outlays.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
“We also pay for the daughter’s food and drinks and she doesn’t usually even eat half of the meal.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
“Don’t be selfish, Lexie. The business, which is going to pay for our rent and groceries, is obviously more important than your swim, or your little essay. Get your priorities straight.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
