pay to play
Any kind of charge to engage in an activity.
Seen in the wild
I guess its as simple as there is no reason that borrowing money right now should be a cheap exercise you want to blow it all in 'risk' - you're gonna have to pay to play
It’s also about the lobbying-pay to play. All of our representatives are bought and paid to vote one way or the other by billionaires and cooperations. That’s the real problem. The voters really have no say.
I still remember a Report released in late 2018 that our Air quality had decreased significantly. It wasn’t attributed to Republicans but they had DEregulated our clean air! 1.5 years earlier. Republicans bow to Corp…
Manchin & Sinema accepted donations from GOP billionaires TO thwart Biden’s agenda! --NYT Pay to Play!
Why do I get the feeling this is just another opportunity for Trump graft -- Pay to Play?
Definitions
Any kind of charge to engage in an activity.
“I guess its as simple as there is no reason that borrowing money right now should be a cheap exercise you want to blow it all in 'risk' - you're gonna have to pay to play”
— Bluesky· May 2026“It’s also about the lobbying-pay to play. All of our representatives are bought and paid to vote one way or the other by billionaires and cooperations. That’s the real problem. The voters really have no say.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I still remember a Report released in late 2018 that our Air quality had decreased significantly. It wasn’t attributed to Republicans but they had DEregulated our clean air! 1.5 years earlier. Republicans bow to Corporations! Pay to Play scheme for donors. Shame!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Manchin & Sinema accepted donations from GOP billionaires TO thwart Biden’s agenda! --NYT Pay to Play!”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(by extension) To incur a cost to participate in an activity; especially, in a corrupt way.
“Why do I get the feeling this is just another opportunity for Trump graft -- Pay to Play?”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Why is this important to him? Corruption- these billionaires - pay to play. This should not be important unless Trump is getting something in return- period!!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Pay to play, it's always been a shakedown”
— Bluesky· May 2026“God forbid you look into regulating big pharma’s pay to play schemes. Financial incentives are the issue to begin with. Providing a counter financial incentive rather than regulation is like putting out a fire with a bucket of grease.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“How Trump turned the Department of Justice into a pay to play criminal shit show. youtube.com/shorts/ZwC8B...”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Semantically related
- paypig66%
(internet slang, 4chan, derogatory) A person who pays for electronic media, especially video games.
- pay-to-stay65%
(US) A scheme where prison inmates are charged for their accommodation (meals, clothing etc.) while in prison.
- pay-for65%
(US, politics) Something which is used to pay for a bill, such as an increase in taxes.
- payola64%
(US, Philippines) A bribe given in exchange for a favor, such as one given in exchange for the promotion of goods or services (originally one given to a disk jockey to play a record).