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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reprisal
Residents did not give their names for fear of reprisals.
—
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Many survivors remain silent due to fear of reprisals, lack of support, and the stigma placed on them instead of the perpetrators.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Gerard Butler’s reprisal of Stoick the Vast in live-action makes so much sense.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
The partial evacuation of the Iraq embassy, among other staff withdrawals, came as talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program appear to have stalled, with American officials fearing reprisals if Israel follows through on its plans, CBS said.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Amir Daftari, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
Many survivors remain silent due to fear of reprisals, lack of support, and the stigma placed on them instead of the perpetrators.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 15 June 2025
Gerard Butler’s reprisal of Stoick the Vast in live-action makes so much sense.
—Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
The partial evacuation of the Iraq embassy, among other staff withdrawals, came as talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program appear to have stalled, with American officials fearing reprisals if Israel follows through on its plans, CBS said.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 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
-
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 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share