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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
pay back
2 of 2phrase
as in reimburse
to make a return payment to
I already paid back what I owed you for groceries.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of payback
Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
But to conflate Israel with one’s identity in being Jewish, or to spread false information about Jews as some sort of payback against Israel, is antisemitism.
—Kevin Wilk, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
New investment would be needed to keep facilities and operations up to date, with no certainty of payback.
—Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
And wouldn’t Johnson enjoy a bit of payback for having his former boss run up the score on him in the first meeting?
—Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for payback
Noun
Fakroune is accused of posing as Angelino Escobar, the son of the famed Columbian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, and lying to people about his connections to nonexistent Italian mafiosos to ensure payback on his loans.
—Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
But to conflate Israel with one’s identity in being Jewish, or to spread false information about Jews as some sort of payback against Israel, is antisemitism.
—Kevin Wilk, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
New investment would be needed to keep facilities and operations up to date, with no certainty of payback.
—Dallas Morning News, 5 Jan. 2026
And wouldn’t Johnson enjoy a bit of payback for having his former boss run up the score on him in the first meeting?
—Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for payback
Recent Examples of Synonyms for payback
Noun
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Seahawks fans and the players absolutely looking for revenge.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 last year to exact revenge for a 38-35 loss in Super Bowl LVII.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Chinese government reacted by telling Chinese citizens not to travel to Japan, threatening economic retaliation, and pulling the plug on meetings that were long planned, putting a pretty deep freeze on China-Japan relations.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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And second, while owner Jeff Bezos may have protected his space company from presidential retaliation, there’s no sign the Post won any benefits from the president or his movement.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That threat, and Chinese retribution that followed — warnings to Chinese tourists to avoid Japan, a ban on Japanese seafood imports, moves to choke off Chinese rare earth exports — triggered a nationalist rally-around-the-flag surge.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The win perhaps felt like retribution for the last Super Bowl between these teams.—
Tim Rohan,
NBC news,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Payback.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/payback. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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