Meaning & use
paying by check
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
The act of paying for something with a written order to a bank, rather than with cash or a card.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase or after 'when' or 'by'; not used as a verb itself.
Patterns
- paying by check
- pay by check
- paying by check for something
Paying by check is still common for rent and utilities.
She prefers paying by check because it gives her a paper record.
The store stopped accepting paying by check last year.
Common combinations
- pay by check
- You can pay by check or by credit card.
- paying by check for rent
- Paying by check for rent is easy if you have a bank account.
- accept paying by check
- Most online stores do not accept paying by check.
Synonyms and how they differ
- paying by cheque
- British spelling; same meaning but used in the UK and some other countries.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: paying by check or checking account?
paying by check vs checking account
A checking account is a bank account, not a method of payment.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'paying by check' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option B correctly uses the phrase as a subject. Option A has incorrect word order. Option C is missing 'is'. Option D uses the present tense with 'last month'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “paying by check”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.