pay back

British  

verb

1. to retaliate against

   to pay someone back for an insult

2. to give or do (something equivalent) in return for a favour, insult, etc

3. to repay (a loan)

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noun

1. 1. the return on an investment

   2. Also called: payback period.  the time taken for a project to cover its outlay

2. 1. something done in order to gain revenge

   2. ( as modifier )

      payback killings

pay back Idioms  

1. Repay a debt or a loan, as in I'll pay you back next month .

2. Also, pay back in someone's own coin . Revenge oneself, repay in kind, as in He thought he could get away with copying my plans, but I'll pay him back in his own coin . This expression refers to repaying a debt in exactly the same currency in which the money had been lent. [c. 1600]

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Example Sentences

In at least two cases, prosecutors said, they believe Juin used money borrowed from some people to pay back others he owed money to.

From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026

Nationwide has already reimbursed everyone who lost money, but another court hearing in July will decide how much of the money Kershaw should pay back.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

At the time, regulators wanted Musk to pay back money he allegedly saved by delaying notice of his stock purchases.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Higher debt equates to a bigger interest burden for a government, creating a feedback loop that raises concerns about whether a nation is able to pay back both the principal and interest.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

Mam says she can now pay off the few pounds she owes at Kathleen O’Connell’s shop and she can pay back what she owes her own mother.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Related Words

• adjust
• compensate
• recoup
• redeem
• reimburse
• relinquish
• remit
• repay