pay down

verb

paid down; paying down; pays down

transitive verb

: to reduce (a debt) by repaying in part

Examples of pay down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Revenue generated by sales of the Trump card would be used to pay down the national debt, Trump said. Molly Bohannon, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025 The president's supporters say such cuts have to happen if the nation is ever going to pay down its debt. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 10 May 2025 With that in mind, the Cardinals would likely either take less prospect capital in return or pay down some of the righty's contract in order to land better prospects. Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025 There’s usually a rebound in March and April, though, as consumers use their tax refunds to pay down debts. Brian Sloan,dan Avery, CNBC, 19 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pay down

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pay down was in 1975

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Cite this Entry

“Pay down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pay%20down. Accessed 19 May. 2025.

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