as in revenge
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
we are hoping to get payback for the humiliating defeat we suffered at the hands of our rivals during our last matchup
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
pay back
2 of 2phrase
as in reimburse
to make a return payment to
I already paid back what I owed you for groceries.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples of payback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 17 July 2024
The most recent installment of the fantasy drama found Aegon demanding payback on Rhaenyra, Daemon and anyone else who had anything to do with the death of his child.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 25 June 2024
Its basic plot — a woman heads out to seek payback from the perpetrators of a phone scam that ripped her off — might sound like a gender-reversed riff on a Liam Neeson vehicle.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 June 2024
For a 5-kilowatt system, Find Energy estimates the average payback period is eight years on systems that typically last 20-25 years.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 28 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback 
Noun
The ability to bathe in The Seine is simply a side show; payback to Parisians for the use of massive public funds to complete such an ambitious river restoration project.
—Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 17 July 2024
The most recent installment of the fantasy drama found Aegon demanding payback on Rhaenyra, Daemon and anyone else who had anything to do with the death of his child.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 25 June 2024
Its basic plot — a woman heads out to seek payback from the perpetrators of a phone scam that ripped her off — might sound like a gender-reversed riff on a Liam Neeson vehicle.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 22 June 2024
For a 5-kilowatt system, Find Energy estimates the average payback period is eight years on systems that typically last 20-25 years.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 28 July 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.
Thesaurus Entries Near payback
Cite this Entry
“Payback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payback. Accessed 8 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share