retaliate

1 of 2

verb

re·​tal·​i·​ate ri-ˈta-lē-ˌāt 

retaliated; retaliating

intransitive verb

: to return like for like

especially : to get revenge

After the company reduced benefits, the union went on strike to retaliate.

transitive verb

: to repay in kind

retaliate an injury

retaliation

ri-ˌta-lē-ˈā-shən 

ˌrē-

noun

retaliative

ri-ˈta-lē-ˌā-tiv 

adjective

retaliatory

ri-ˈtal-yə-ˌtȯr-ē 

-ˈta-lē-ə-

adjective

retaliation

2 of 2

noun

re·​tal·​i·​a·​tion

plural -s

: an act of retaliating : requital

especially : return of evil for evil

sanguinary retaliation on the part of a rejected office seeker

—W. A. Swanberg

retaliation by revenge or blood feud on a collective scale

—Notes & Queries on Anthropology

retaliation against aggression at places of our own choosing

—Arthur Krock

Synonyms of retaliate

Verb

• avenge

Choose the Right Synonym for retaliate

reciprocate, retaliate, requite, return mean to give back usually in kind or in quantity.

reciprocate implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received.

reciprocated their hospitality by inviting them for a visit

retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

the enemy retaliated by executing their prisoners

requite implies a paying back according to one's preference and often not equivalently.

requited her love with cold indifference

return implies a paying or giving back.

returned their call

return good for evil

Examples of retaliate in a Sentence

Verb

After the company announced plans to reduce benefits, the union threatened to retaliate by calling for a strike.

retaliated his neighbor's malicious destruction of his flower garden by cutting down the man's prize apple tree

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Tehran retaliated by targeting ships sailing through the strait, effectively closing the sea lane and triggering the biggest oil supply disruption in history. —Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 17 June 2026

But Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said his country wouldn’t withdraw from security zones in southern Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, and would retaliate if attacked. —Christopher Cann, USA Today, 15 June 2026

Immigration attorneys and advocates are accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of retaliating against detainees taking part in hunger strikes over inhumane conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Charging documents said Lawson forced Carter to remove his clothes the day of the carjacking, proving a strong motive to detectives that Carter retaliated. —Adam Thompson, CBS News, 11 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Late Latin retaliatus, past participle of retaliare, from Latin re- + talio legal retaliation

Noun

Latin retaliatus (past participle of retaliare to retaliate) + English -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1606, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for retaliate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

Kids Definition

retaliate

verb

re·​tal·​i·​ate ri-ˈtal-ē-ˌāt 

retaliated; retaliating

: to return (as an injury) in kind : get revenge

retaliation

-ˌtal-ē-ˈā-shən 

noun

retaliatory

-ˈtal-yə-ˌtōr-ē 

-ˌtȯr-

adjective

Legal Definition

retaliate

intransitive verb

re·​tal·​i·​ate ri-ˈta-lē-ˌāt 

retaliated; retaliating

: to act in revenge

retaliation

-ˌta-lē-ˈā-shən 

noun

retaliative

-ˈta-lē-ˌā-tiv 

adjective

retaliatory

-ˈtal-yə-ˌtōr-ē 

adjective