payback

noun

pay·​back ˈpā-ˌbak How to pronounce payback (audio)
1
2
: a return on an investment equal to the original capital outlay
also : the period of time elapsed before an investment is recouped

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Heath also flagged additional research suggesting the carbon payback period may be less than a year. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025 There’s some credence to the idea that recent weeks’ selling pressure was something of a pulling-forward of the modest payback that history suggests should be expected for this month. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 6 Jan. 2025 How does the payback compare to the ROI (i.e., useful life of retrofit/payback)? Thomas Grizzetti, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 Your tortured soul is getting a bit of payback for something. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 22 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for payback 

Word History

First Known Use

1718, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of payback was in 1718

Dictionary Entries Near payback

Cite this Entry

“Payback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payback. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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