foot the bill
idiom
: to pay for something
His parents footed the bill for his college education.
It's a business lunch, so the company is footing the bill.
Examples of foot the bill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Taxpayers have also had to foot the bill for the office’s mistakes.
—
Andrew Wimer, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
For decades, multiple U.S. presidents chided our European allies for falling short of their defense spending targets, thereby forcing Americans to foot the bill for the collective defense of the West.
—Michelle Flowers, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 July 2025
These drivers are professionals who, like NASCAR drivers, travel the country from race to race, pit crews in tow and sponsors footing the bill.
—William Liang, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Or collect more money from the oil industry as a whole to cover orphan well plugging costs, rather than relying on taxpayers to foot the bill.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for foot the bill
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Andrew Wimer, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
For decades, multiple U.S. presidents chided our European allies for falling short of their defense spending targets, thereby forcing Americans to foot the bill for the collective defense of the West.
—Michelle Flowers, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 July 2025
These drivers are professionals who, like NASCAR drivers, travel the country from race to race, pit crews in tow and sponsors footing the bill.
—William Liang, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2025
Or collect more money from the oil industry as a whole to cover orphan well plugging costs, rather than relying on taxpayers to foot the bill.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for foot the bill
Cite this Entry
“Foot the bill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foot%20the%20bill. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share