as in revenge
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
the neighborhood is being torn apart by an endless cycle of gang violence and retribution
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Recent Examples of retribution
But using the criminal law to punish political opponents as retribution inflicts far greater damage.
—
Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Directive to Bondi to investigate political opponents Trump has ratcheted up his discussion of pursuing legal cases against some of his political opponents, part of a vow for retribution that has been a theme of his return to the White House.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
And if his number one goal is retribution, there's a whole bunch of people that's going to be in a world of trouble.
—ABC News, 21 Sep. 2025
Carlson’s remarks echoed concerns raised by other conservatives over efforts to shut down and seek retribution against those who have mocked Kirk’s death or have been openly critical of his hardline political views.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2025
Directive to Bondi to investigate political opponents Trump has ratcheted up his discussion of pursuing legal cases against some of his political opponents, part of a vow for retribution that has been a theme of his return to the White House.
—Meg Kinnard, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
And if his number one goal is retribution, there's a whole bunch of people that's going to be in a world of trouble.
—ABC News, 21 Sep. 2025
Carlson’s remarks echoed concerns raised by other conservatives over efforts to shut down and seek retribution against those who have mocked Kirk’s death or have been openly critical of his hardline political views.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retribution
Noun
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The brutality of Daedalus’s revenge struck me.—
Seamus Sullivan
September 29,
Literary Hub,
29 Sep. 2025
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The government launched the crackdown after a spate of famo revenge killings in 2024.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The lawsuit in Alexandria, Virginia federal court accuses Apple of religious discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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The union held a rally in Queens, hoping to bring attention to the job losses and accusing Amazon of cutting ties with the DSP as retaliation for its drivers joining the Teamsters union last year.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retribution. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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