Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

payback


pay·back

noun \ˈpā-ˌbak\

Definition of PAYBACK

1
: a return on an investment equal to the original capital outlay; also : the period of time elapsed before an investment is recouped

Examples of PAYBACK

  1. They beat our team last year, so we've got to beat them this year as payback.
  2. <we are hoping to get payback for the humiliating defeat we suffered at the hands of our rivals during our last matchup>

First Known Use of PAYBACK

1955

Rhymes with PAYBACK

aback, ack-ack, alack, amtrac, Anzac, arrack, attack, backpack, backtrack, Balzac, bareback, blackjack, blowback, bootblack, bootjack, brushback, bushwhack, buyback, callback, calpac, carjack, champac, cheapjack, coatrack, come back, comeback, cookshack, crackback, crookback, cut back, cutback, Dayak, dieback, Dirac, draw back, drawback, fall back, fallback, fastback, fast-track, fatback, feedback, finback, fireback, flapjack, flashback, fullback, gimcrack, giveback, graywacke, greenback, gripsack, guaiac, halfback, half-track, hardback, hardhack, hardtack, hatchback, hayrack, haystack, hijack, hogback, hold back, holdback, hopsack, horseback, humpback, hunchback, Iraq, jam-pack, jet-black, Kanak, Karnak, kayak, Kazak, kickback, knapsack, knickknack, kulak, kyack, laid-back, lampblack, leaseback, linac, macaque, man jack, manpack, Micmac, mossback, muntjac, Muzak, notchback, offtrack, one-track, outback, packsack, pitch-black, play back, playback, plow back, plowback, Prozac, pullback, quillback, racetrack, ransack, rickrack, roll back, rollback, roorback, rucksack, runback, sad sack, scatback, serac, set back, setback, shellac, shellback, shoeblack, shoepac, sidetrack, six-pack, skewback, skipjack, skyjack, slapjack, slotback, Slovak, smokejack, smokestack, snap back, snapback, snowpack, softback, sumac, swayback, sweepback, swept-back, switchback, tailback, tarmac, thornback, throw back, throwback, thumbtack, ticktack, tieback, tie tack, tombac, touchback, tow sack, trictrac, tripack, unpack, wetback, whaleback, wingback, wisecrack, wolf pack, woolpack, woolsack, yashmak, zwieback

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: paybook
Previous Word in the Dictionary: pay–as–you–go
All Words Near: payback

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up payback? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).