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
Trump will also work to frame the verdict as political payback.
—
Philip Elliott, TIME, 30 May 2024
But when a marine archaeologist working for MI6 is gunned down, his daughter (Carole Bouquet, deadly with a crossbow) is out for payback with Bond's help.
—Chris Nashawaty, EW.com, 29 May 2024
The courtroom days have repeatedly touched on his penchant for payback, his love of fixers to defend him, his obsession with being seen as a playboy, his business practices at what is essentially a mom-and-pop company.
—Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 25 May 2024
Trump’s resilience gives California GOP dreams of payback in a state that has long been blue.
—Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback 
Philip Elliott, TIME, 30 May 2024
But when a marine archaeologist working for MI6 is gunned down, his daughter (Carole Bouquet, deadly with a crossbow) is out for payback with Bond's help.
—Chris Nashawaty, EW.com, 29 May 2024
The courtroom days have repeatedly touched on his penchant for payback, his love of fixers to defend him, his obsession with being seen as a playboy, his business practices at what is essentially a mom-and-pop company.
—Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 25 May 2024
Trump’s resilience gives California GOP dreams of payback in a state that has long been blue.
—Christian Orozco, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 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 6 Jun. 2024.
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