pay-to-play
Americanadjective
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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.
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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.
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mr. Dimon is referring to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s so-called pay-to-play rule.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025
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
Robert Tafoya have both copped to their role in the pay-to-play scheme and agreed to cooperate in ongoing public corruption investigations.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024
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
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
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.
