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
Some Republicans also have expressed interest in payback for Democrats removing Republicans from committees in the recent past.
—
Andy Rose, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
The attack, a storyline payback for Cargill's own hiatus-inducing assault, saw Cargill interrupt Naomi's Elimination Chamber match.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
That is, until Edward shoots and kills him on school grounds, ending Alderman’s payback, and flees the scene with Taylah, who has digitized the prime formula on her phone.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
Carney and Casale insist they are motivated by good fiscal sense, not political payback.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for payback
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Andy Rose, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
The attack, a storyline payback for Cargill's own hiatus-inducing assault, saw Cargill interrupt Naomi's Elimination Chamber match.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
That is, until Edward shoots and kills him on school grounds, ending Alderman’s payback, and flees the scene with Taylah, who has digitized the prime formula on her phone.
—Jake Kring-Schreifels, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
Carney and Casale insist they are motivated by good fiscal sense, not political payback.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 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 24 Mar. 2025.
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