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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.

Eurofins plans to use the sale proceeds to pay down debt, invest in laboratories, and conduct share buybacks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

If you’re struggling to pay down debt, it may help to set a stricter budget.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

Paramount relies heavily on cable channel profits to pay down debt and said Monday there were no plans to sell any cable channels.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

But the higher percentage of household income that is being spent on interest payments does indicate that, at the very least, many Americans will likely spend the expected higher tax incomes to pay down debt.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

For nearly a decade after, she and Mama had worked every single day to pay down those debts, and they’d come so close.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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.