payoff

American  

[pey-awf, -of] / ˈpeɪˌɔf, -ˌɒf /

noun

• payoffs
  plural

1. the payment of a salary, debt, wager, etc.

2. the time at which such payment is made.

3. the consequence, outcome, or final sequence in a series of events, actions, or circumstances.

   The payoff was when they fired him.

   Synonyms:

   finale, upshot, climax

4. Informal. the climax of something, especially a story or joke.

5. a settlement or reckoning, as in retribution or reward.

6. Informal. a bribe.

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adjective

1. yielding results, especially rewarding or decisive results.

   The payoff play was the long pass into the end zone.

verb phrase

1. 1. to pay (someone) everything that is due that person, especially to do so and discharge from one's employ.

   2. to pay (a debt) in full.

   3. Informal. to bribe.

   4. to retaliate upon or punish; pay back.

   5. to result in success or failure.

      The risk paid off handsomely.

   6. Nautical. to fall off to leeward.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• payoffs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of payoff

First recorded in 1910–15; noun, adjective use of verb phrase pay off

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

payoff payoffs

While Eves sees the pragmatic payoff of Apple staying in the Trump administration’s good graces, he and many other employees harbor mixed feelings about Cook’s relationship with the president.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

And the payoff from Project Puffin has echoed far from the shores of Maine, says Elizabeth Gray, chief executive of the National Audubon Society.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Meanwhile, activists like McCollum have expanded their focus to opposing all hyperscale data centers, taking Lavina’s perspective that bigger facilities are not worth the potential economic payoff.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026

But the payoff is substantial: With 15,000 to 20,000 seats depending on the configuration, a single night can gross up to $3 million in ticket sales.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

Her expression was carefully bland, and I understood now that the piano was a payoff.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

These are derivative contracts whose payoffs are tied to inflation, and the total notional value of the global swap market is in the trillions of dollars.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

During her morning news conference, she seemed to mock some of the U.S. evidence, including hand-written ledgers allegedly denoting payoffs to Mexican politicians.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

In 2008, both Lee Jae-yong and his father resigned after a former Samsung lawyer turned whistle-blower claimed knowledge of a slush fund that was being used for bribes and political payoffs.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

Ackman and his team also may make small “macro” investments with the potential for large payoffs like he successfully did on corporate credit in 2020 and interest rates in 2022.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

For bettors, the least attractive race is one in which the favorites finish in the top positions, producing low payoffs for winning bets.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

• consequence
• outcome
• payment
• reward
• settlement