payoff
Worth the wait
A payoff is the return or reward that comes from an action or investment: The payoff for all that training was a gold medal.
It can be a bribe: The inspector received a payoff to overlook violations.
In narrative, the payoff is the satisfying resolution that earlier setup promised: The joke's payoff landed perfectly.
To pay off a debt is to settle it completely; to pay off a bet is to deliver winnings.
Illegal payment for services
- bribeIllicit payment for favor
- graftIllicit political gain
- hush moneyPayment to ensure secrecy
- corruptionDishonest abuse of power
extortion · blackmail · payola · sweetener · grease · buyoff · slush fund · dirty money
Accumulated gambling prize
- windfallUnanticipated lucky gain
- bonusReward beyond expectation
- prizeReward for winning
- returnGo back again
gain · bounty · earnings · profit · dividend · compensation · recompense · remuneration
Concluding part of performance
- climaxPoint of greatest intensity
- denouementStory's final unraveling
- culminationHighest or final point
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
wrap-up · endgame · closure · final act · completion · finalization · settlement · reckoning
What follows a cause
- outcomeFinal result of events
- aftermathResults following an event
- upshotFinal outcome
- ramificationSecondary consequence of action
fallout · effect · repercussion · fruit · yield · end result · bottom line · net result
Profit relative to cost
- dividendCorporate profit share
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- profitGain exceeding expenditure
- gainPositive return received
returns · ROI · interest · principal · maturity · redemption · settlement · cash out
Impetus toward a goal
- inducementMotivating factor or offer
- enticementSomething that attracts
- carrotEdible orange taproot
- sweetenerAdditive reducing bitterness
lure · bait · temptation · encouragement · stimulus · catalyst · driver · impetus
kickback
Illegal payment for services
- bribeIllicit payment for favor
- graftIllicit political gain
- hush moneyPayment to ensure secrecy
corruption · extortion · blackmail · payola · sweetener · grease · buyoff · slush fund · dirty money · under the table
jackpot
Accumulated gambling prize
return · gain · bounty · earnings · profit · dividend · compensation · recompense · remuneration · spoils
finale
Concluding part of performance
- climaxPoint of greatest intensity
- denouementStory's final unraveling
- culminationHighest or final point
resolution · wrap-up · endgame · closure · final act · completion · finalization · settlement · reckoning · moment of truth
result
What follows a cause
ramification · fallout · effect · repercussion · fruit · yield · end result · bottom line · net result · just deserts
return on investment
Profit relative to cost
gain · returns · ROI · interest · principal · maturity · redemption · settlement · cash out · liquidation
motivation
Impetus toward a goal
- inducementMotivating factor or offer
- enticementSomething that attracts
- carrotEdible orange taproot
sweetener · lure · bait · temptation · encouragement · stimulus · catalyst · driver · impetus · spur
- tradeoffstradeoff, compromise, cost-benefit, risk-reward, give-and-take
- dirty moneydirty money, ill-gotten gains, illicit funds, illicit gains, proceeds of crime
- political scandalsWatergate, Iran-Contra, Whitewater, Teapot Dome, coverup
- compound wordsbookmark, breakdown, sunlight, breakup, snowflake
- humorjoke, jokes, joking, comedy, comic
- storytellingstorytelling, story, tale, narrative, narrator
payoffloss
Being without something
cost · expense · expenditure · outlay · disbursement
payoffsetup
How something is arranged
introduction · opening · start · beginning · buildup
payoffrefusal
Act of declining
honesty · integrity · incorruptibility · whistleblowing · exposure