What Is Another Way to Say “Pay Back”?

Looking for synonyms for pay back? We’ve got you covered!

Here’s a list of other ways to say pay back.

  • Reimburse
  • Repay
  • Return
  • Compensate
  • Remunerate
  • Settle
  • Square up
  • Refund
  • Restitute
  • Recompense
  • Redeem
  • Disburse
  • Satisfy
  • Liquidate
  • Make good

Want to learn how to say pay back professionally? Keep reading for examples and use cases.

1. Reimburse

Appropriate Use: Typically used in business or professional contexts to refer to the repayment of money that has been spent or lost.
Example: “The company will reimburse you for any travel expenses incurred during the business trip.”

2. Repay

Appropriate Use: Commonly used to describe the action of paying back money that was borrowed.
Example: “The loan from the bank was repaid over a period of five years.”

3. Return

Appropriate Use: Used in contexts where something, especially money, is given back to its original owner or source.
Example: “After the project was canceled, we had to return the unused funds to the investors.”

4. Compensate

Appropriate Use: Refers to providing something, usually money, in recognition of loss, suffering, or work done.
Example: “The employees were compensated for the extra hours they worked last weekend.”

5. Remunerate

Appropriate Use: Typically used in formal contexts, referring to paying someone for services rendered or work done.
Example: “Consultants are remunerated at a different rate than full-time employees.”

6. Settle

Appropriate Use: Often used in financial contexts, referring to the payment of a bill or debt.
Example: “We need to settle the invoice before the end of the month to avoid late fees.”

7. Square up

Appropriate Use: Informal, used to describe the act of making a payment or settling a debt.
Example: “After the event, the organizer squared up with all the vendors.”

8. Refund

Appropriate Use: Commonly used in retail and customer service, referring to returning money to a customer, usually because of a return or a complaint.
Example: “The customer was refunded the full amount due to the product defect.”

9. Restitute

Appropriate Use: Often used in legal contexts, referring to the restoration of something lost or stolen to its proper owner.
Example: “The company was ordered to restitute the funds it had misappropriated.”

10. Recompense

Appropriate Use: Used to describe compensation or reward given for loss, harm, or effort.
Example: “The firm offered to recompense the employees affected by the erroneous salary deductions.”

11. Redeem

Appropriate Use: Often used in the context of repaying or recovering something, especially in financial terms.
Example: “He redeemed his outstanding debts with the revenue from his latest investment.”

12. Disburse

Appropriate Use: Typically used in formal contexts like finance and accounting, referring to the paying out of money from a fund.
Example: “The treasurer was responsible for disbursing funds to the project teams.”

13. Satisfy

Appropriate Use: Often used in legal or financial contexts, referring to fulfilling an obligation or settling a debt.
Example: “The judgment required the company to satisfy the debt owed to its creditors.”

14. Liquidate

Appropriate Use: Used in financial contexts, often referring to the process of settling debts by converting assets into cash.
Example: “To pay back the investors, the company had to liquidate some of its assets.”

15. Make good

Appropriate Use: Informal, often used in the context of fulfilling a commitment or rectifying a mistake.
Example: “The supplier promised to make good on the late delivery by providing a discount on the next order.”

Linda Brown