"return the favor" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "returns the favor",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "returning the favor",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "returned the favor",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "returned the favor",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "return the favor (third-person singular simple present returns the favor, present participle returning the favor, simple past and past participle returned the favor)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Polish links with redundant wikilinks",
          "parents": [
            "Links with redundant wikilinks",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2006, David Schmidtz, The Elements of Justice, Cambridge University Press, page 83",
          "text": "Having received an unearned windfall, we are in debt. The moral scales are out of balance. The canonical way to restore a measure of balance is to return the favor to our benefactor, as per symmetrical reciprocity. However, the canonical way is not the only way. Another way is to pass the favor on, as per transitive reciprocity.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Scott M. James, An Introduction to Evolutionary Ethics, John Wiley & Sons, page 140",
          "text": "Let's say Gertrude shared some of her food with you. This recognition in turn triggers a judgment that you ought to return the favor – that is, you ought to share some of your food with Gertrude when the opportunity arises.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do something for someone similar to what they did for you."
      ],
      "id": "en-return_the_favor-en-verb-R9oL-oTB",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To do something for someone similar to what they did for you."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "tags": [
            "UK"
          ],
          "word": "return the favour"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "tehdä vastapalvelus"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "renvoyer l’ascenseur"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "rendre la pareille"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "odwdzięczać się"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "odwdzięczyć się"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "return the favor"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "returns the favor",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "returning the favor",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "returned the favor",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "returned the favor",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "return the favor (third-person singular simple present returns the favor, present participle returning the favor, simple past and past participle returned the favor)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English verbs",
        "Polish links with redundant wikilinks",
        "Translation table header lacks gloss"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2006, David Schmidtz, The Elements of Justice, Cambridge University Press, page 83",
          "text": "Having received an unearned windfall, we are in debt. The moral scales are out of balance. The canonical way to restore a measure of balance is to return the favor to our benefactor, as per symmetrical reciprocity. However, the canonical way is not the only way. Another way is to pass the favor on, as per transitive reciprocity.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Scott M. James, An Introduction to Evolutionary Ethics, John Wiley & Sons, page 140",
          "text": "Let's say Gertrude shared some of her food with you. This recognition in turn triggers a judgment that you ought to return the favor – that is, you ought to share some of your food with Gertrude when the opportunity arises.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To do something for someone similar to what they did for you."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To do something for someone similar to what they did for you."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ],
      "word": "return the favour"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "tehdä vastapalvelus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "renvoyer l’ascenseur"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "rendre la pareille"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "odwdzięczać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "odwdzięczyć się"
    }
  ],
  "word": "return the favor"
}