Bribe apprentice not to participate in the deciding match (3,3)
I believe the answer is:
pay off
'bribe' is the definition.
(I know that pay off is a more specific form of the action bribe)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for pay off that I've seen before include "Punchline" , "Take revenge" , "Clear debt or discharge employee" , "Settlement in retribution or reward" , "Dnouement" .)