kickbacks
Under-the-table money
Kickbacks are illicit payments made in return for favorable treatment, typically in business or politics.
A contractor might pay kickbacks to an official who steered a lucrative contract their way: The senator resigned after revelations of kickbacks from defense contractors.
The term implies corruption—money flowing back to someone who helped make a deal happen.
Culminating benefit received
- graftIllicit political gain
- under-the-tableSecret and unofficial
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
- backhanderSecret illicit payment
sweetener · palm-greasing · payola · shakedown · corruption · collusion · cronyism · nepotism
Reduced price offered
- refundMoney returned after purchase
- cashbackRefund from spending
- returnGo back again
- savingsAccumulated money kept
credit · reimbursement · deduction · rebate · moneyback · concession · offset · reclaim
payoff
Culminating benefit received
- graftIllicit political gain
- under-the-tableSecret and unofficial
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
backhander · sweetener · palm-greasing · payola · shakedown · corruption · collusion · cronyism · nepotism · malfeasance
discount
Reduced price offered
savings · credit · reimbursement · deduction · rebate · moneyback · concession · offset · reclaim · repayment
jolt
Abrupt forceful shake
impact · blowback · snap · shock · force · pushback · jarring · rifle · shotgun · firearm
downtime
Period of non-operation
lounging · rest · decompression · casual · easygoing · carefree · socializing · drinks · friends · weekend
- dirty moneydirty money, ill-gotten gains, illicit funds, illicit gains, proceeds of crime
- financial fraudsecurities fraud, bank fraud, accounting fraud, defalcation, embezzler
- scamsscam, scams, fraud, frauds, swindle
- fraud investigationforensic accounting, forensic audit, fraud detection, financial fraud, fraudulent schemes
- wrongdoingmisconduct, crime, sabotage, crimes, misbehavior
- corruptioncorruption, graft, bribery, bribes, bribe
kickbacksintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
fair compensation · ethical business · fair dealing · transparency · clean hands