payback

American  

[pey-bak] / ˈpeɪˌbæk /

noun

1. the period of time required to recoup a capital investment.

2. the return on an investment.

   This fund yields a payback of 15 percent tax-free.

3. the act or fact of paying back; repayment.

4. something done in retaliation.

   Excluding them from her wedding was a vicious payback for years of being snubbed.

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verb phrase

1. 1. to repay or return; pay off.

      Graduates from this program are successfully paying back their student loans.

   2. to retaliate against or punish.

      She paid us back by refusing the invitation.

   3. to requite.

Etymology

Origin of payback

First recorded in 1955–60; noun use of verb phrase pay back

Example Sentences

Putting a positive spin on things, one could suggest that February was simply a payback month for better data in January.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

And I asked the class, “Do you think that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was justified as payback for what the Japanese military had done in Nanjing?”

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

Now, I’m the one who must cobble together an agenda if I want even a fraction of that payback.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

"If this is payback time, this is my redemption," said Lai, who was then out on bail.

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

The poor guy had no way of knowing that, considering the payback I was expecting from Schultz, a rampaging grizzly couldn’t scare me.

From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• compensation
• reimbursement