paying back
Settling a debt
Paying back is returning what was borrowed or owed—money, a favor, or a debt of any kind: I'm still paying back my student loans, She paid me back for covering her shift.
It also means retaliating or getting revenge: He'll pay you back for that insult.
The noun payback captures both senses—repayment or vengeance.
- tit for tatEquivalent retaliation
- eye for an eyePunishment matching the offense
- get evenExact reciprocal harm
- evening the scoreRetaliating to restore balance
- indebtednessState of owing money
taste of their own medicine · settling the score · what goes around · getting even · requital · paying it forward · retribution · restitution · amortization · reciprocation · atonement · making amends · vengeance · reimbursement · refund · penance · retaliation · redress
paying backborrowing
Temporary taking of another's
defaulting · keeping · withholding · owing · taking credit
paying backforgiving
Inclined to pardon offenses
letting go · pardoning · excusing · absolving · letting slide
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