payback

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 is not payback, but just very real constraints and policy trade-offs," Fix told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

The moves are partly intended as payback for the school’s 2025 termination of former superintendent Cedric Wins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 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

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

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2026

His phone calls were just payback for the recent cushion he had given me.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee