1
as in reparation
usually reprisals plural
payment to another for a loss or injury
a peace agreement that was rejected because it contained no provisions for reprisals
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2
as in retaliation
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
after defeating them last year in the finals, our team nervously awaited the expected reprisal by our archrivals in this year's tournament
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reprisal
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel ’s effort to decapitate the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.
—
Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Sources familiar with the detentions, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said some detainees were released after a few hours.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025
The president’s threats have his Arab allies worried and fearing Iranian reprisal attacks against the US on their soil, where the US has a significant military presence.
—Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Residents did not give their names for fear of reprisals.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2025
Sources familiar with the detentions, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said some detainees were released after a few hours.
—Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025
The president’s threats have his Arab allies worried and fearing Iranian reprisal attacks against the US on their soil, where the US has a significant military presence.
—Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Residents did not give their names for fear of reprisals.
—Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprisal
Noun
-
Ahead of Juneteenth, proponents of reparations for African Americans met last week with mostly Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill to urge them to continue the push for federal reparations legislation.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
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This pilot was the first of its kind funded through voluntary reparations, in which oppressors' descendants choose to actively redistribute their wealth and power to the oppressed.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Agnes doesn’t process her experience the way a movie character might be expected to — with, say, revenge or sudden catharsis.—
Jake Coyle,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
-
Barcelona, meanwhile, will host Manchester City ready for revenge.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
Some, the retribution seekers, were eager to dish; those forced to appear via subpoena sat deadpan.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
3 July 2025
-
In light of the settlements, critics have argued that news networks and tech companies are kowtowing to Trump in order to preserve access to the White House and protect against retribution.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reprisal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprisal. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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