pay down

pay down

1. To provide a monetary deposit in exchange for something; to make a down payment. A noun or pronoun can be used between "pay" and "down." How much would I have to pay down for this car?
2. To pay small amounts of money over time to decrease a debt. A noun or pronoun can be used between "pay" and "down." I'm trying to pay down my credit card debt, but it's hard because my freelance jobs are so unpredictable.
See also: down, pay
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

pay something down

 .
1. Lit. to make a deposit of money on a purchase. You will have to pay a lot of money down on a car that expensive. I only paid down a few thousand dollars.
2. Fig. to reduce a bill by paying part of it, usually periodically. I think I can pay the balance down by half in a few months. I will pay down the balance a little next month.
See also: down, pay
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • ask down
  • bear down
  • chow down
  • chow something down
  • clunk
  • clunk down
  • brush down
  • button down
  • bolt down
  • call down
References in periodicals archive
It now expects to pay down up to $350m in the financial year, at the upper end of its range.
Is it a good idea to use a mortgage refinance loan to pay down debt?
If it goes ahead, the float would help accelerate the group's plans to pay down the debt it has racked up after a string of high-profile acquisitions.
* Young adults who simultaneously can pay down student debt and save for retirement are more likely to report better financial health.
Overall, the pool is scheduled to pay down by 8.8%, compared with the average of 10.4% for 2016 vintage Fitch-rated transactions.
The Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants has educational kits and resources to help residents pay down debt and become financially literate.
Louisiana is using millions of unbudgeted cash from the last two budget years to pay down state debts.<br />A spokesman for Gov.
With Income-Based Repayment, borrowers' payments are set as a percentage of their income, so if their debt is high relative to their income, their payments may not be sufficient to pay down loan principal.
Kadir thanked the public for volunteering to raise funds to help the Pakatan Harapan government pay down over RM1 trillion in debts and liabilities, adding that the new fund would help streamline such efforts.
Over the last several years, Hawaiian has steadily grown and diversified revenue while improving earnings and generating free cash flow, which was used to invest in the business and pay down debt.
(NYSE: VRX) (TSX: VRX) has used the net proceeds of the recent sale of Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC to pay down USD 811m of its senior secured term loans, the company said.
BANKING AND CREDIT NEWS-June 2, 2016-Gradifi partners with Citizens Bank to help members pay down student debt
Global Banking News-April 12, 2016--Mexican central bank to use reserves to pay down debt
We have paid down a lot, but we were in such an over-extended position in 2007 that we really need to pay down more, and so while corporations have paid down a lot and banks have recapitalised their balance sheets, we are still seeing more need by consumers and by government.
"A check from Uncle Sam gives consumers the ability to pay down debt, add a cushion to their savings or splurge on a vacation or big-ticket item."