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
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
Along with the Big 12 title, the Horned Frogs will be aiming for payback against the Wildcats after Arizona defeated TCU 2-1 in their three game series at the beginning of May.
—
Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2025
Then again, perhaps a nontraditional lender will want to extend the money in hopes of a different sort of payback.
—Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
The Knicks got payback in the same round two years later, with Ewing’s 31.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game leading them to a 3-2 series victory.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 May 2025
His vote drew fierce protests and even prompted a ballot measure to seize his 200-year-old New Hampshire farmhouse as payback.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for payback
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Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2025
Then again, perhaps a nontraditional lender will want to extend the money in hopes of a different sort of payback.
—Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
The Knicks got payback in the same round two years later, with Ewing’s 31.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game leading them to a 3-2 series victory.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 May 2025
His vote drew fierce protests and even prompted a ballot measure to seize his 200-year-old New Hampshire farmhouse as payback.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for payback
Cite this Entry
“Payback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/payback. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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