pay up
No objectThis verb takes no object at all.
How to say it
Stress the particle, not the verb: pay UP. Saying “PAY up” is the clearest learner tell — the verb stays light and the particle carries the beat.
A glide appears. Two vowels meet, so American English slips a /j/ between them: “pay up” → “pay-yup”. You do not insert it deliberately — it falls out of not stopping between the words.
What it means
To pay money you owe, reluctantly or under pressure.
informal- “The insurer eventually paid up after four months.”
- “Pay up — you lost the bet.”
Similar: settle up