IdiomTopic: money

foot the bill

/ˌfʊt ðə ˈbɪl/INFORMAL · C1

Meaning

to pay for something

Examples

1The employer agreed to foot the bill for my training.
2Why should neighbours foot the bill for damage they did not cause?
3The school footed the bill, so parents paid nothing for the coach.
4You ordered dinner for everyone; are you footing the bill or expecting us to pay?
5The insurer will foot the bill; the repairs will be free for us.

Grammar

Foot is a regular verb here. Use the bill, followed by for when naming the expense.

Similar in meaning

go Dutch

More idioms about money

All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →

money talksmoney gives people power and influence strapped for cashshort of money rolling in itvery rich splash outto spend a lot of money on something special a nest eggmoney saved for the future on a shoestringwith very little money

English Idioms

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