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Synonyms

pay up

British  

verb

  1. (adverb) to pay (money) promptly, in full, or on demand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
pay up Idioms  

  1. Pay in full, discharge all that is owing, as in, It's late—let's pay up and go home. [c. 1800] Also see pay off, def. 1.

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.

Among those willing to pay for it, workers would be willing to pay up to 11% of their salary for training.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

Warner approved a provision to pay up to $335 million to reimburse Zaslav for excise taxes he will owe once he cashes out.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

"Fifa point to their unconfirmed sales figures as validation of their unfair ticket practices, while the reality is they leave loyal fans with no other choice - pay up or lose out," Evain said.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Their goal is to squeeze more revenue out of each seat flown, catering to travelers willing to pay up for lie-flat and extra legroom seats.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Some minibus drivers couldn’t pay up front, for example.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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.