payback

noun

pay·​back ˈpā-ˌbak 

1

: requital

2

: a return on an investment equal to the original capital outlay

also : the period of time elapsed before an investment is recouped

Synonyms of payback

• revenge
• retaliation
• retribution

Examples of payback in a Sentence

They beat our team last year, so we've got to beat them this year as payback.

we are hoping to get payback for the humiliating defeat we suffered at the hands of our rivals during our last matchup

Recent Examples on the Web

New investment would be needed to keep facilities and operations up to date, with no certainty of payback. —Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026

And wouldn’t Johnson enjoy a bit of payback for having his former boss run up the score on him in the first meeting? —Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026

Osborne said that even if EMU were to end its work with Ardeo, graduates who have already enrolled in the loan payback program and meet other requirements would still receive their loan payments. —CBS News, 31 Dec. 2025

The opportunity for payback comes with a matching platform and context. —Troy Renck, Denver Post, 24 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing payback

• payback time

Rhymes for payback

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback