return the favor

idiom

: to do something the same or similar in return for something done

He treats them well, and they return the favor.

Examples of return the favor in a Sentence

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.

Surround yourself with people who lift you up—and never forget to return the favor. —

Deepali Jamwal, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 All five Sacramento starters were in double figures at halftime, while Jokic was the lowest-scoring starter for either team, an indicator of his strange reluctance to return the favor to Domantas Sabonis, who frequently rammed into him in the post. —

Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 17 Dec. 2024 Keep a Tupperware full of Homemade Chicken Soup in your own freezer, ready for the next time Grandma needs a boost to return the favor. —

Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2025 Wiggins tried to return the favor on a fast-break opportunity only to whiff and trip out of bounds. —

Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for return the favor

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“Return the favor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/return%20the%20favor. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.

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