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

• 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

As Kelce added to a couple weeks ago by imitating Mahomes as payback for Mahomes insinuating Kelce couldn’t find Brazil on the map. —Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2025

Retention also improves your unit economics, increasing lifetime value (LTV), reducing payback period and signaling real product-market fit to investors. —Jay Sen, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025

Spending has been uneven this year with pull-forward demand ahead of tariffs, then some payback followed by an apparent reacceleration. —Michael Santoli, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025

The most concerning messages, experts told NBC News, are proclamations from far-right activists, Republican politicians and conservative influencers about a coming civil war and the need for retribution or payback against the left for Kirk’s killing. —Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 14 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1718, 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