[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

payoff \payoff\ n.
   1. profit or gain from an action; -- used broadly; as, lots
      of effort with little payoff.
      pjc

   2. retribution, payback.
      pjc

   3. the act of giving or receiving money or other valuable
      consideration as a bribe.

   syn: bribe.
        pjc

   4. the money or item given as a bribe.
      pjc

   5. same as compensation 2.

   syn: compensation, remuneration, recompense.
        pjc

   6. the climax or final result of an event or endeavor; the
      denoument of a narrative.
      pjc
see also:
compensation 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

payoff
     n 1: the final payment of a debt syn: final payment
     2: payment made to a person in a position of trust to corrupt
        his judgment syn: bribe
     3: the income arising from land or other property; "the average
        return was about 5" syn: return, issue, proceeds,
        take, takings, yield
     4: a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing;
        "the wages of sin is death"; "virtue is its own reward"
        syn: wages, reward
see also:
final payment bribe return issue proceeds take 
takings yield wages reward 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

116 moby thesaurus words for "payoff":
   z, acquitment, acquittal, acquittance, amortization, amortizement,
   apodosis, binder, bitter end, boodle, bribe, bribe money, cash,
   cash payment, catastrophe, ceasing, cessation, clearance, climax,
   coda, completion, conclusion, consummation, crack of doom,
   culmination, curtain, curtains, death, debt service, decease,
   defrayal, defrayment, denouement, deposit, destination, destiny,
   disbursal, discharge, doling out, doom, down payment, earnest,
   earnest money, effect, end, end point, end result, ending, envoi,
   epilogue, eschatology, expiration, fate, final result,
   final solution, final twitch, final words, finale, finality, finis,
   finish, goal, gratification, gratuity, hire purchase,
   hire purchase plan, hush money, installment, installment plan,
   interest payment, izzard, last, last act, last breath, last gasp,
   last things, last trumpet, last words, latter end, liquidation,
   monthly payments, never-never, omega, paying, paying off,
   paying out, paying up, payment, payment in kind, payola, period,
   peroration, prepayment, protection, quarterly payments, quietus,
   quittance, regular payments, remittance, resolution, resting place,
   retirement, satisfaction, settlement, sinking-fund payment, sop,
   spot cash, stoppage, stopping place, swan song, term, terminal,
   termination, terminus, weekly payments, windup

Payoff >> P Words
Payoff, definition of term: Payoff
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