Showing results for "pay-to-play"

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Slang dictionary results for pay-to-play.

pay-to-play

American  

[pley-tuh-pley] / ˈpleɪ təˈpleɪ /

adjective

1. relating to or denoting the policy or practice of paying a fee to play a game at the time the game is played.

   If you can’t afford a club membership, find a place that offers pay-to-play handball.

2. relating to or denoting an unethical or illicit arrangement in which payment is made by those who want certain privileges or advantages in such arenas as business, politics, sports, and entertainment.

   a pay-to-play system encouraged by drug corporations.

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Usage

What does pay-to-play mean? Pay-to-play refers to situations where one must exchange money to engage in an activity or to earn favors or influence.

Etymology

Origin of pay-to-play

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pay-to-play

There are also a number of so-called pay-to-play programs that don’t necessarily give students a leg up in admissions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 16, 2026

Instead, he's replaced it with a pay-to-play system that turns blue check users into "lords" whose subscription fee gives them perks like being at the top of mentions and being promoted in the algorithm.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2025

Citing a whistleblower, they claim Universal potentially made "covert payments" to iHeart as part of a "pay-to-play scheme" to promote the song.

From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2024

Chan was the last defendant charged in the City Hall pay-to-play investigation — dubbed “Casino Loyale” by the federal government due to Huizar’s frequent Las Vegas trips — to go on trial.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2024

It was billed as one of the nation’s most ambitious efforts to end pay-to-play in contracting and designed to fundamentally change the political culture of a state steeped in corruption.

From New York Times ● Apr. 17, 2024