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
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
One of them is played by Colin Jost, Johansson’s real-life husband, in the sort of cutesy cameo that feels like payback for her appearances on SNL.
—
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 July 2024
The Orioles nearly swept the Rangers for a tiny bit of payback, winning the first three games before Sunday’s lopsided loss.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2024
Trump has endorsed Good’s primary challenger, John McGuire, as payback for Good supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) primary challenge against Trump.
—Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 June 2024
Pecker said though the payback deal was signed, it was never executed.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback 
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 July 2024
The Orioles nearly swept the Rangers for a tiny bit of payback, winning the first three games before Sunday’s lopsided loss.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2024
Trump has endorsed Good’s primary challenger, John McGuire, as payback for Good supporting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) primary challenge against Trump.
—Mabinty Quarshie, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 June 2024
Pecker said though the payback deal was signed, it was never executed.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'payback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Payback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payback. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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