pay sb off
phrasal verb with pay verb uk/peɪ/ uspaid | paid
to tell someone to leave their job and pay them what they have earned:
75 workers were paid off when the plant was closed down.
to finish paying someone the money that you owe them:
Finally he had paid off his creditors and could begin to save money.
informal
to give someone money so that they will not do or say something, or so that they will go away:
Two former employees threatened to tell damaging stories to the press unless the company paid them off.