return the favor
idiom
: to do something the same or similar in return for something done
He treats them well, and they return the favor.
Examples of return the favor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Keep a Tupperware full of Homemade Chicken Soup in your own freezer, ready for the next time Grandma needs a boost to return the favor.
—
Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2025
Wiggins tried to return the favor on a fast-break opportunity only to whiff and trip out of bounds.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025
After watching their crosstown rivals sign Soto away from them, will Yankees general manager Brian Cashman return the favor by landing Alonso on a big-money deal?
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Biden and the former presidents should return the favor in January.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for return the favor 
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Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 4 Jan. 2025
Wiggins tried to return the favor on a fast-break opportunity only to whiff and trip out of bounds.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025
After watching their crosstown rivals sign Soto away from them, will Yankees general manager Brian Cashman return the favor by landing Alonso on a big-money deal?
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 14 Dec. 2024
Biden and the former presidents should return the favor in January.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for return the favor
Dictionary Entries Near return the favor
Cite this Entry
“Return the favor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/return%20the%20favor. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.
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