Wiktionary
vb. 1 (context transitive informal English) To bribe, especially to deter oversight. 2 (context intransitive English) To become worthwhile; to produce a net benefit.
WordNet
v. yield a profit or result; "His efforts finally paid off"
eliminate by paying off (debts) [syn: liquidate]
pay off (loans or promissory notes) [syn: redeem]
do or give something to somebody in return; "Does she pay you for the work you are doing?" [syn: pay, make up, compensate]
pay someone with influence in order to receive a favor [syn: buy off]
take vengeance on or get even; "We'll get them!"; "That'll fix him good!"; "This time I got him" [syn: pay back, get, fix]
Usage examples of "pay off".
I would send him my note of hand, making over to him my Picardy estates, and I would request him to pay off and disband my servants both in Paris and at Bardelys.
I've got some bills I want to pay off, so the first bite, believe me, is bigger than the ones I'll want later on.
I wrote that story for the sole purpose of making money to pay off a mortgage and with the single intention of entertaining the reader.
Now it began to pay off, and the first of the new queens were shaking the water from their motor wings.
Of this, $400 million consisted of incentives for US business to export products to Panama, $150 million was to pay off bank loans and $65 million went to private sector loans and guarantees to US investors.
People wanted new cars, or money to pay off their mortgages, or to win the Publisher's Clearinghouse sweepstakes.
The Imperium was prepared to pay off well for this job they needed done.