return the compliment

Idioms

Also, return the favor. Repay someone in kind, as in Her political opponent came out with a smear campaign, and she returned the compliment. Neither the compliment nor the favor in this idiom is necessarily desirable. [First half of 1700s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It took a long time for the country to return the compliment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

When Grande tried to return the compliment, Eilish quipped back, “This is not about me, ma’am.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2025

If you wish to return the compliment, blink and your cat might blink back.

From Scientific American ● Oct. 5, 2022

Prince Charles will return the compliment in a speech he makes at the handover ceremony on Monday evening.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2021

He said: "Come now, Miss Vera Claythorne, aren't you going to return the compliment?"

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023