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
The city of San Antonio, Texas, which came in seventh on the list overall, had the lowest median sale price of $250,000, but similarly low median monthly rental rates of $1,290 with a payback period of more than 16 years.
—
Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
But maybe that was the payback for Hall on Sanderson.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
On Sunday in Game 4 at the Garden, the Sabres finally got a little payback.
—Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Anoe said there’s a payback for Lake County communities.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for payback
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Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
But maybe that was the payback for Hall on Sanderson.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
On Sunday in Game 4 at the Garden, the Sabres finally got a little payback.
—Stephen Conroy, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2026
Anoe said there’s a payback for Lake County communities.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
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 May. 2026.
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