tit for tat
noun phrase
: an equivalent given in return (as for an injury) : retaliation in kind
tit-for-tat
adjective
Examples of tit for tat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The displacement of so many Jews from their ancient home becomes a kind of tit for tat—a balancing act of victimhood against the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during Israel’s war of independence.
—
Adam Louis-Klein,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Reciprocity within capitalism and white supremacy is tit for tat.
—
Lorinda Toledo,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
The tit for tat could further unsettle a global economy already rattled by President Donald Trump’s trade policies and fallout from the Iran war.
—
Joel Mathis,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
Texas kick-started the tit for tat with new lines giving Republicans an edge last year, prompting other red states to follow suit.
—
Julia Mueller,
The Hill,
29 Apr. 2026
Jeffries has separately been involved in efforts to redistrict in Virginia, Illinois, and beyond — part of a tit for tat with Trump that could determine the balance of power in Washington next year.
—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Feb. 2026
No other government has gone tit for tat with Washington on tariffs and export restrictions and emerged mostly unscathed.
—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Catastrophic insurance, not tit for tat What all this research suggests is that friendship is less about the exchange of favors and more about being there for each other when unforeseeable disaster strikes.
—
Athena Aktipis,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Weddings are not tit for tat, everyone is different.
—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
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Adam Louis-Klein,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Reciprocity within capitalism and white supremacy is tit for tat.
—
Lorinda Toledo,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
The tit for tat could further unsettle a global economy already rattled by President Donald Trump’s trade policies and fallout from the Iran war.
—
Joel Mathis,
TheWeek,
4 June 2026
Texas kick-started the tit for tat with new lines giving Republicans an edge last year, prompting other red states to follow suit.
—
Julia Mueller,
The Hill,
29 Apr. 2026
Jeffries has separately been involved in efforts to redistrict in Virginia, Illinois, and beyond — part of a tit for tat with Trump that could determine the balance of power in Washington next year.
—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Feb. 2026
No other government has gone tit for tat with Washington on tariffs and export restrictions and emerged mostly unscathed.
—
Zongyuan Zoe Liu,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Catastrophic insurance, not tit for tat What all this research suggests is that friendship is less about the exchange of favors and more about being there for each other when unforeseeable disaster strikes.
—
Athena Aktipis,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Weddings are not tit for tat, everyone is different.
—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tit for tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tit%20for%20tat. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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