pay for
Britishverb
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to make payment (of) for
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(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
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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]
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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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Policyholders would be on the hook to pay for anything above $500 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
This fluctuation is due in part to Bitcoin having no intrinsic value: Like gold, it is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
When condo buildings can’t pay for or lose the master policy, it makes it tough to sell a unit because prospective buyers wouldn’t be able to qualify for a traditional mortgage.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
With more homes for sale and fewer buyers competing for them, sellers are increasingly willing to cover closing costs, pay for repairs or offer other incentives to get deals across the finish line.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
I guess I can pay for the fireworks, but the fire?
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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.
