paid the piper

A form of pay the piper — To pay expenses for something, and thus be in a position to be in control.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of pay the piper
Cite this entry
APA

paid the piper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paid%20the%20piper

MLA

“paid the piper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paid%20the%20piper. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “paid the piper,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/paid%20the%20piper.

Source: paid the piper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.