Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

pay down

British  

verb

  1. (adverb) to pay (a sum of money) at the time of purchase as the first of a series of instalments

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

Perhaps 15% of global companies are ‘zombies,’ generating enough revenue to pay interest but not pay down principal debt or make shareholder distributions.

From MarketWatch Jul. 9, 2026

Lodge says he prefers companies to use the capital to either pay down debt or do an M&A deal.

From Barron's Jun. 25, 2026

The Elon Musk-controlled company announced its first-ever bond sale Monday with proceeds earmarked to pay down debt.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 22, 2026

“This temporary incentive is designed to help borrowers pay down their balances more quickly.”

From MarketWatch Jun. 18, 2026

Perhaps it is life extension, a kind of loan allowing you to take the assaults heaped upon you now and pay down the debt later.

From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training