pay for

British  

verb

1. to make payment (of) for

2. (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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pay for Idioms  

1. 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]

2. 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]

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Example Sentences

"When I started applying for municipal contracts with the City of Chicago, they wanted me to pay for projects upfront and get reimbursed later. But I didn't have the capital," Traci explains.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

We currently do not pay for child care, as a relative provides full-time care during the weekdays.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

That’s still around 22% north of their prewar levels, but more than 25% below the current price investors must pay for a barrel of oil today.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Advocates for the officers whose cases were dismissed said they had suffered serious harm to their finances and reputations, with each placed on leave without pay for more than a year.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

But intellect and curiosity did not pay for bread or coal, her uncle said, and just because his sister was dead shouldn’t mean he had to feed another mouth.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

Related Words

• back
• encourage
• finance
• fund
• maintain
• raise
• set up
• sponsor
• strengthen
• subsidize
• uphold