# return the favor

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/return-the-favor
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do something for someone similar to what they did for you.

## Examples

- He helped me move, so I want to return the favor.
- She watched my dog last weekend, so I offered to return the favor by picking up her groceries.
- After the neighbor provided crucial support during the crisis, he felt a deep moral obligation to return the favor when the opportunity eventually arose.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.