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 intended insult was Dorit’s payback after Sutton spent the season mocking her costar’s wallet size.
—
Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
This wasn’t just a World Cup quarter-final but payback for England’s win at that stage of the tournament in 1966 and revenge, as Maradona later wrote in his autobiography, for the Falklands War of four years earlier.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 June 2026
In Europe, where gas prices are higher, many industrial heat projects are achieving payback periods of 5 to 7 years.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Reed’s victims relished a chance at payback when the writer tried his hand at acting in the atrocious 1970 film adaptation of Gore Vidal’s novel Myra Breckinridge.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for payback
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
This wasn’t just a World Cup quarter-final but payback for England’s win at that stage of the tournament in 1966 and revenge, as Maradona later wrote in his autobiography, for the Falklands War of four years earlier.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 June 2026
In Europe, where gas prices are higher, many industrial heat projects are achieving payback periods of 5 to 7 years.
—Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Reed’s victims relished a chance at payback when the writer tried his hand at acting in the atrocious 1970 film adaptation of Gore Vidal’s novel Myra Breckinridge.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 12 May 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 16 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
