Synonyms of payback

payback 1 of 2

noun

ˈpā-ˌbak 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• revenge
• retaliation
• retribution
• vengeance
• punishment
• reprisal
• compensation
• requital
• counterattack
• chastisement
• counter
• castigation
• counteroffensive
• correction
• amends
• penalty
• restitution
• indemnity
• wrath
• redress
• reparation(s)
• recompense
• indemnification
• desert(s)
• recoupment
• discipline
• nemesis
• remuneration
• quittance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mercy
• grace
• leniency
• clemency
• forgiveness
• pardon
• remission
• lenity

pay back

2 of 2

phrase

as in reimburse

to make a return payment to

I already paid back what I owed you for groceries.

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reimburse
• repay
• refund
• compensate
• render (to)
• give back
• pay off
• reciprocate
• pay up
• satisfy
• pay down
• liquidate
• recompense
• quit
• remunerate
• settle

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of payback

Noun

Picking Gaetz for the nation’s top law enforcement job is the surest sign that Trump wants payback against those he feels wronged by, observers say. —David Jackson, USA TODAY, 15 Nov. 2024

Severide and Damon storyline didn’t go in a payback/revenge direction this week? 20 | Which Survivor player was messier in Episode 5: Tiyana or Rome? —Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 18 Oct. 2024

Is this some warped sense of payback to America for not electing him to a second term in 2020? —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 Nov. 2024

Adelson’s payback is likely to be more political than financial. —Peter Green, Quartz, 25 Nov. 2024