pay for

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

Idioms and Phrases

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]

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

For years, the Hillsborough families had had to scrimp, save, and fundraise to pay for lawyers.

From BBC

I also loved Einbinder’s speech and her offer to pay for going over.

From Los Angeles Times

"The model is simple. It's your property, my lights. You only pay for the electricity and I work out that cost in advance."

From BBC

Food was covered, but everyone had to pay for their own drinks.

From BBC

The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank and relies on foreign donors, used to help pay for repairs caused by Israeli military incursions.

From BBC

Related Words

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