From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpayoffpay‧off /ˈpeɪɒf $ -ɒːf/ noun [countable] 1 RESULTan advantage or profit that you get as a result of doing something With electric cars there is a big environmental payoff.2 PAY FORGIVEa payment that is made to someone, often illegally, in order to stop them from causing you trouble → bribe Union leaders allegedly received huge payoffs from the company’s bosses.3 a payment made to someone when they are forced to leave their job → redundancy The average payoff to staff was about £2000.
Examples from the Corpus
payoff• It was alleged that union leaders had received huge payoffs from the company's bosses.• Here the reward or payoff acts in a negative way and is a form of punishment.• Tax policy would be ruled by stubborn one-third minorities, many among them cruising for policy payoffs to drop their opposition.• Such switches between the two forms of reductionism have several payoffs.• The tavern payoff was in return for favors granted.• But companies will have to decide if the payoff is worth the effort.• What are your payoffs for letting these fears overcome you?From Longman Business Dictionarypayoffpay‧off /ˈpeɪɒf-ɒːf/ noun [countable]1a good result from a particular plan, project etcThe company’s biggest payoff came in May when it made $18.4 million.This low-risk strategy promises a payoff regardless of what the stockmarket does.2a payment made to someone in order to stop them causing troubleThe company refused tomake thepayoff and complained to the authorities. 