Definition of retaliate
retaliated
;retaliating
transitive verb
: to repay in kind retaliate an injury
intransitive verb
: to return like for like; especially : to get revenge
From the M-W Editors
Examples of retaliate in a Sentence
After the company announced plans to reduce benefits, the union threatened to retaliate by calling for a strike.
retaliated his neighbor's malicious destruction of his flower garden by cutting down the man's prize apple tree
Recent Examples of retaliate from the Web
-
In the complaint, Merket, 52, alleges that the school district discriminated against him on the basis of age and retaliated against him because of his support for a former co-worker.
-
The claim addressed Friday by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals accused Howard and his former top assistant of unlawfully retaliating against Mikko to prevent him from testifying, in violation of his First Amendment rights.
-
Friday's agreement, which must be approved by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, sharply limits Microsoft's ability to retaliate against its customers and partners for embracing competitors' technologies.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'retaliate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of retaliate
Late Latin retaliatus, past participle of retaliare, from Latin re- + talio legal retaliation
First Known Use: 1606
Synonym Discussion of retaliate
RETALIATE Defined for English Language Learners
retaliate
playDefinition of retaliate for English Language Learners
-
: to do something bad to someone who has hurt you or treated you badly : to get revenge against someone
RETALIATE Defined for Kids
retaliate
playDefinition of retaliate for Students
retaliated
;retaliating
: to get revenge by returning like for like
Law Dictionary
Learn More about retaliate
-
See words that rhyme with retaliate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for retaliate Spanish Central: Translation of retaliate Nglish: Translation of retaliate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of retaliate for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up retaliate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!