avenge

verb

\ ə-ˈvenj

avenged; avenging

Definition of avenge

transitive verb

1 : to take vengeance for or on behalf of vowed to avenge their murdered father

2 : to exact satisfaction for (a wrong) by punishing the wrongdoer was determined to avenge the assault

Other Words from avenge Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about avenge

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Synonyms for avenge

Synonyms

redress, requite, retaliate, revenge, venge [archaic]

Examples of avenge in a Sentence

The brothers vowed to avenge the death of their father. They vowed to avenge their father by capturing and punishing his killer.

Recent Examples on the Web

After the death of Mr. Sawadi’s father, the rest of his immediate family migrated to Europe—all but Mr. Sawadi’s youngest brother, Ali, who instead returned to Syria to avenge his father his own way. — Raja Abdulrahim, WSJ, "‘If He’s Hiding, I Will Find Him.’ One Man’s Hunt for the Militants Who Killed His Father," 15 Dec. 2018 The Cornhuskers went on to avenge their loss to Texas in the Big 12 championship game and capped the season off with a Fiesta Bowl win over No. — Will Mccollister, SI.com, "On the Outside Looking In: The Best Teams to Finish No. 3 in the BCS Era," 11 July 2018 The manager will be hoping his side can avenge the 1-0 loss suffered at the beginning of the season when the Potters visit the Emirates this weekend. — SI.com, "Arsenal Handed Double Injury Boost Ahead of Stoke Clash as Attacking Pair Return to Training," 27 Mar. 2018 Ignorant of the family business, Michael avenges his father’s near-murder and takes over, ultimately causing the death of his very soul. — Angela Rocco Decarlo, WSJ, "Merry Christmas, Don Corleone," 20 Dec. 2018 In the regional semifinal, the Trailblazers avenged last year’s season-ending loss to Lutheran by beating the Saints, 9-4. — Joseph Spears, Indianapolis Star, "HS baseball: University hitting new heights, state title within reach," 7 June 2018 Menomonee Falls at West Allis Hale, 4:30 p.m. Saturday: Greater Metro leader Menomonee Falls has a chance to avenge its only league loss in a game that could give it the league title outright. — Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee-area softball rankings, player and team of the week," 14 May 2018 The game Sunday will be a chance to avenge a 29-19 loss that started the season on a Monday night. — Christopher Dabe, NOLA.com, "With Vikings set to host a Super Bowl New Orleans wanted, Saints look to spoil the fun," 8 Jan. 2018 On July 15th Croatia’s footballers, spurred on to avenge defeat at the hands of France in the World Cup semi-finals in 1998, take on les bleus again in Moscow. — The Economist, "Croatia stands on the cusp of World Cup victory," 13 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'avenge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.