as in revenge
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
we are hoping to get payback for the humiliating defeat we suffered at the hands of our rivals during our last matchup
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
pay back
2 of 2phrase
as in reimburse
to make a return payment to
I already paid back what I owed you for groceries.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples of payback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Only a ranking Trump administration official — Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, Donald Trump himself — would satisfy Tehran’s desire for payback.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 25 Sep. 2024
Chargers From player to coach, Jim Harbaugh imbues his Chargers with a fighting spirit
Sept. 8, 2024
Running back J.K. Dobbins came alive in the second half with 131 of his 135 rushing yards after halftime as the Chargers (1-0) got payback for an embarrassing 42-point loss last December.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024
However, like first-party SNTs, ABLE accounts may be subject to Medicaid payback after the individual with a disability dies.
—Hannah Frances Johansson, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for payback 
Noun
Don’t forget to track and measure the success of your efforts to facilitate continuous improvement and quantify payback in the eyes of top management and other constituents.
—Martin Zwilling, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2024
Only a ranking Trump administration official — Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, Donald Trump himself — would satisfy Tehran’s desire for payback.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 25 Sep. 2024
Chargers From player to coach, Jim Harbaugh imbues his Chargers with a fighting spirit
Sept. 8, 2024
Running back J.K. Dobbins came alive in the second half with 131 of his 135 rushing yards after halftime as the Chargers (1-0) got payback for an embarrassing 42-point loss last December.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2024
However, like first-party SNTs, ABLE accounts may be subject to Medicaid payback after the individual with a disability dies.
—Hannah Frances Johansson, CNN, 13 Sep. 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.
Thesaurus Entries Near payback
Cite this Entry
“Payback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payback. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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