1. The final payment of a debt
   "After making the payoff, they officially owned their home";
   - final payment
    
2. A recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
   "the payoff of sin is death";
   - wages, reward
    
3. Payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt their judgment
   "The official was caught accepting a payoff to approve the building permit";
   - bribe, kickback [informal], bung [Brit, informal], backhander [Brit, informal]
    
4. The income or profit arising from such transactions as the sale of land or other property
   "the average payoff was about 5%";
   - return, issue, take, takings, proceeds, yield

1. Settle or discharge (a debt, loan, or financial obligation) completely
   "The company paid off its outstanding debts";
   - redeem, liquidate
    
2. Yield a profit or result
   "His efforts finally paid off"
    
3. Give something in return to make up for loss, effort, or inconvenience
   "He paid off his debts";
   - pay, make up, compensate
    
4. Pay someone with influence in order to receive a favour
   "The corporation attempted to pay off the regulators";
   - buy off
    
5. Take vengeance on or get even
   "He finally paid off his old rival";
   - pay back, get, fix [informal]

Derived forms: payoffs, paid off, pays off, paying off

See also: pay

Type of: aftermath, ante up, bear, bribe, buy, consequence, corrupt, even up, get back, get even, grease the palm of, income, pay, pay up, payment, settle, yield

Encyclopedia: Payoff