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

As the biggest beverage makers battle for relevance among budget-conscious consumers, Coca-Cola is seeing early signs of a payoff from new drinks billed as beverage “innovation.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Like other big tech companies such as Google and Amazon, Tesla has faced questions about the payoff from its ambitious and costly technology buildout.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

“With so much riding on so few names, a slower payoff wouldn’t just be a sector problem, it would risk tipping the economy into recession and the S&P 500 into a correction,” Slok wrote.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

“Blow Out” tees up an astonishing setup and payoff, yet does so with a graceful simplicity that makes returning to the film edifying no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

They were skeptical at first, but after I described the unique nature of the quest, and what I believed the payoff for solving it might be, they finally agreed.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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

France’s national weather service is investigating anomalous temperature spikes at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, leading to lucrative Polymarket payoffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

“I’m able to reconnect with the daylight and emotionally transition into a higher gear that has so many payoffs personally and professionally.”

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 6, 2026

The illicit payoffs were as yet unknown to the public, and as the barons moved toward the front of the Million Dollar Elm, they were treated as princes of capitalism, the crowd parting before them.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• consequence
• outcome
• payment
• reward
• settlement