Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - payback

also pay-back (paybacks) 1. You can use payback to refer to the profit or benefit that you obtain from something that you have spent money, time, or effort on. (mainly AM) There is a substantial payback in terms of employee and union relations... N-COUNT: usu sing 2. The payback period of a loan is the time in which you are required or allowed to pay it back. ADJ: ADJ n 3. Payback time is when someone has to take the consequences of what they have done in the past. You can use this expression to talk about good or bad consequences. This was payback time. I’ve proved once and for all I can become champion... PHRASE: v-link PHR