paying 1 of 3

Definition of payingnext

paying

2 of 3

noun

as in payment
the act of offering money in exchange for goods or services the actual shopping was quick, but with the long lines, paying for the stuff seemed to take forever

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

paying

3 of 3

verb

present participle of pay
1
as in compensating
to give (someone) the sum of money owed for goods or services received we need to pay the cashier and then we can leave

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in giving
to produce as revenue an investment paying six percent

Synonyms & Similar Words

5

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of paying
Adjective
All roles are open and non-paying. Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026 The idea is to remove non-paying riders, often who are homeless, mentally ill or taking illicit drugs, from the system. Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026 Customers will still be able to preload $35 for unlimited seven-day travel onto an OMNY card — riding free after paying for 12 trips in any seven-day period — though pre-paying is not required for the unlimited rides. Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026 Under Niccol, Starbucks has brought back its tradition of baristas doodling on cups in Sharpie pens; reinstated self-serve milk and sugar stations; cut 30% of the food and drink menu; ended its open-bathroom policy for non-paying customers; and laid off 1,100 corporate employees in February. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025 So, while a paying customer willing to spend $100 on a coin bundle will typically receive around 100 Sweeps Coins as a bonus, the non-paying customer who mails in a postcard is capped at 5 Sweeps Coins – a nominal amount. Daniel Wallach, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
The survey shows who will be doing more of the paying. Lars Daniel, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 And many of the jobs that were created are part-time or low paying. Justin Mayo, New York Times, 12 May 2026 Is your job one of the highest paying in Kentucky? Olivia Evans, Louisville Courier Journal, 17 Mar. 2026 The inevitable capitalistic evolution of the House settlement that allowed for the paying of athletes guaranteed there would be winners and losers, and the winners are – no surprise – the signal-callers. Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026 Balanced growth, roads and other infrastructure, continuing a positive approach to economic development, attracting industry and high paying jobs. Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025 Notably, Ditto is the best paying of the three, but doesn’t accept freelancers from California, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025
Verb
At current levels, investors are paying for durability and growth visibility. Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 26 May 2026 If shooters continue to win the war against their goaltending brethren, then the fungibility of NHL goaltenders will continue to increase, and teams will be more incentivized to avoid paying premium prices for goaltenders, both in terms of their compensation and on the trade market. Thomas Drance, New York Times, 25 May 2026 Long-term resilience requires investing upstream in prevention rather than continually paying for failure downstream. Richard McCathron, Fortune, 25 May 2026 That long history also has tended to depress prices in the secondary market, to account for all the money buyers will be paying their mechanics. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 25 May 2026 If there’s a Roth option, use it, because paying taxes upfront on contributions now, while in a low tax bracket, will likely pay off in the future. Jill Schlesinger, Mercury News, 25 May 2026 The poll shows voters are done paying that bill. Tracy Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026 For most of the country’s history, the fact that the economy’s growth rate surpassed the interest rate on the debt enabled us to keep paying our bills. Jared Bernstein, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026 Importing higher-paying—and oftentimes higher-achieving—students benefits a school during boom times, when universities have seemingly infinite choice among applicants. Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paying
Adjective
  • Some companies do well over time; some unprofitable companies become profitable.
    Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
  • But the ordinance also garnered strong opposition from the convenience industry that would lose the ability to sell a profitable and popular item.
    Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • Even so, a homebuyer could use an adjustable mortgage, an interest-only mortgage or a permanent rate buydown to make the payment more affordable.
    Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 26 May 2026
  • However, with the first day of June landing on a Monday, payments will go out on a regular schedule, according to the Social Security Administration’s calendar.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 26 May 2026
Verb
  • Where are employees compensating at personal cost to keep work moving?
    Bill Howatt, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
  • Dimon framed acquisitions almost as a tool of last resort, not a growth strategy, and warned that bankers who lean too hard on dealmaking are often compensating for poor organic growth.
    Hugh Son, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • As the podcast industry debates the definition of a podcast and wades through unclear ad measurement tools, a secret industrywide taskforce has been meeting to combat the problem.
    Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 28 May 2026
  • Before the breach, 23andMe touted its security practices as meeting the highest industry standards.
    Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • The idea to create a docu-fiction where a character is inserted into real-life environments to interact with unsuspecting locals came to Ribeiro after spending long periods of time in El Paso as a journalist covering immigration.
    Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2026
  • The bottom line As gorgeous as these phones are, that alone cannot justify spending a ton of money on them.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Hoff struck out 11 batters, giving him 76 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 May 2026
  • Plus, its fabric and zippers are the same color, giving the jacket an upscale monochromatic look.
    Sian Babish, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Verb
  • Similarly, Nestlé has a dedicated Income Accelerator Programme to financially incentivise farmers employing sustainable practices, while encouraging them to keep children in school.
    Indrabati Lahiri, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
  • Head coach Adrián González experimented slightly with his approach to the team’s offense, employing Colombian midfielder Leicy Santos as a striker and giving center back Tara Rudd more freedom to push into the attack.
    Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 22 May 2026
Adjective
  • The Central Valley stretches from Bakersfield to Redding and is home to some of the nation’s most lucrative farmland.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026
  • Or perhaps Gauff or the hard-hitting Qinwen Zheng, a Chinese tennis star with her own set of lucrative endorsements, will end the drought.
    Hank Tucker, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Paying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paying. Accessed 30 May. 2026.

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