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
All bonuses or First Bet Reset paybacks will be rewarded in bonus bets that must be used within seven (7) days of receipt.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Aim For Quick Wins Alongside an incremental approach to ambitious compliance goals, identifying and achieving quick wins can demonstrate an immediate payback.
—Florent Bouguin, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Butts asked to reprogram money meant for highway projects and create a payback mechanism funded through a special tax district.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
Artificial intelligence has been blamed for stealing work from humans and causing the current global unemployment crisis—so some job seekers are getting payback by using impressive AI tech tools to try to outsmart recruiters.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Aim For Quick Wins Alongside an incremental approach to ambitious compliance goals, identifying and achieving quick wins can demonstrate an immediate payback.
—Florent Bouguin, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
Butts asked to reprogram money meant for highway projects and create a payback mechanism funded through a special tax district.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024
Artificial intelligence has been blamed for stealing work from humans and causing the current global unemployment crisis—so some job seekers are getting payback by using impressive AI tech tools to try to outsmart recruiters.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback
Dictionary Entries Near payback
Cite this Entry
“Payback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payback. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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