payoff

/ˈpeɪˌɔf/
noun
  1. A reward or benefit received as a result of effort or investment.
    • Her hard work on the project had a big payoff when she got promoted.
    • The payoff from saving money early is financial security later.
    • After years of training, the championship was the ultimate payoff.
  2. A bribe or illegal payment to influence someone's actions.
    • The politician was accused of accepting a secret payoff from a contractor.
    • The company made a payoff to avoid a lawsuit.
    • Investigators found evidence of a payoff to the inspector.
  3. The final settlement or payment of a debt or loan.
    • She received a payoff letter confirming the debt was cleared.
    • He made the last payoff on his car loan this month.
    • The mortgage payoff required a large lump sum.
Antonyms
verb
  1. To yield a positive result or reward after effort.
    • Patience usually pays off in the end.
    • All her studying paid off when she aced the exam.
    • The risky investment paid off handsomely.
  2. To bribe someone with money to gain an advantage.
    • He paid off the guard to let him through the gate.
    • They tried to pay off the witness to keep quiet.
    • The official was paid off to ignore the violation.
  3. To pay the full amount owed on a debt.
    • He used his bonus to pay off the remaining balance.
    • She finally paid off her student loans after ten years.
    • We plan to pay off the credit card by next month.
What does "payoff" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean