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
What are the annual energy savings versus retrofit cost (i.e. payback)?
—
Thomas Grizzetti, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
After Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, his former team has a chance for some payback.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Mayor Adams’ lead defense lawyer Alex Spiro has unfairly tried to skew public opinion with public statements — including a claim the case was political payback for the mayor’s criticism of President Biden, prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office wrote in a court filing Thursday.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
While Michigan was busy winning a national championship, Ohio State was assembling a roster that could deliver payback for Ryan Day.
—Austin Meek, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback 
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Thomas Grizzetti, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
After Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets, his former team has a chance for some payback.
—Gord Magill, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Mayor Adams’ lead defense lawyer Alex Spiro has unfairly tried to skew public opinion with public statements — including a claim the case was political payback for the mayor’s criticism of President Biden, prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office wrote in a court filing Thursday.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 20 Dec. 2024
While Michigan was busy winning a national championship, Ohio State was assembling a roster that could deliver payback for Ryan Day.
—Austin Meek, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 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 3 Jan. 2025.
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