retaliate

play

verb re·tal·i·ate \ ri-ˈta-lē-ˌāt \

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

—

retaliation

play \ri-ˌta-lē-ˈā-shən, ˌrē-\ noun

—

retaliative

play \ri-ˈta-lē-ˌā-tiv\ adjective

—

retaliatory

play \-ˈtal-yə-ˌtȯr-ē, -ˈta-lē-ə-\ adjective

See retaliate defined for English-language learners

See retaliate defined for kids

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

Though the smaller canine would bully Charlie, Rickerby said the bigger pooch seldom retaliated.

— anthony clark carpio, Burbank Leader, "Burbank writer looks to inspire others with ‘Chicken Soup’ stories," 29 Aug. 2017
Earlier this month, when Russia retaliated against new sanctions imposed by Congress by forcing the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to cut its workforce by 755 people, the president seemed to welcome the snub, outraging many in the diplomatic community.

— james baker, vanityfair.com, "Is Rex Tillerson Destroying the State Department in Order to Save It?," 20 Aug. 2017
Earlier this month, when Russia retaliated against new sanctions imposed by Congress by forcing the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to cut its workforce by 755 people, the president seemed to welcome the snub, outraging many in the diplomatic community.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "Is Rex Tillerson Destroying the State Department in Order to Save It?," 20 Aug. 2017
North Korea retaliated by threatening to bracket (but not actually hit) the U.S. island territory of Guam with Hwasong-12 intermediate range ballistic missiles.

— kyle mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "These Are the Warning Signs That Would Indicate War in Korea Is About to Start," 16 Aug. 2017
Karnes claimed in his document that Policastro wants to ban bikes on the trail to retaliate and discriminate against Karnes and other bike supporters who have opposed the mayor in other village issues.

— jeanne houck, Cincinnati.com, "Bikers to Mariemont: Don't tell us to take a hike," 14 Aug. 2017
Reassured by Trump adviser Michael Flynn that relief was coming soon (and clearly engaged in backchannel meetings with Trump officials and family members), Russia didn’t retaliate.

— heather hulburt, Daily Intelligencer, "How Will Trump Handle Putin’s Disappointment?," 31 July 2017
Putin broke with tradition and refrained from retaliating when Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and shut down the two compounds in December in response to the election hacking that U.S. intelligence agencies blamed on Russia.

— ilya arkhipov, Bloomberg.com, "Russia Turns Up the Heat on Trump Over Seized Property," 17 July 2017
Anyway, of course the UM demanded that Green retaliate.

— nick canepa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego soft? Find out at your own risk," 16 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1606

See Words from the same year

retaliate Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Related Words

castigate, fix, get, penalize, punish, scourge; chasten, chastise, correct, discipline; right; compensate, pay (back), recompense, repay

Near Antonyms

absolve, condone, excuse, forgive, pardon, remit

Synonym Discussion of retaliate

reciprocate, retaliate, requite, return mean to give back usually in kind or in quantity. reciprocate implies a mutual or equivalent exchange or a paying back of what one has received.

- reciprocated their hospitality by inviting them for a visit

retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

- the enemy retaliated by executing their prisoners

requite implies a paying back according to one's preference and often not equivalently.

- requited her love with cold indifference

return implies a paying or giving back.

- returned their call
- return good for evil

RETALIATE Defined for English Language Learners

retaliate

play

verb

Definition 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

play

verb re·tal·i·ate \ ri-ˈta-lē-ˌāt \

Definition of retaliate for Students

retaliated; retaliating

:to get revenge by returning like for like

Law Dictionary

retaliate

play

intransitive verb re·tal·i·ate \ ri-ˈta-lē-ˌāt \

legal Definition of retaliate

retaliated; retaliating

:to act in revenge

—

retaliation

play \-ˌta-lē-ˈā-shən\ noun

—

retaliative

play \-ˈta-lē-ˌā-tiv\ adjective

—

retaliatory

play \-ˈtal-yə-ˌtōr-ē\ adjective

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).

show

retaliate

Definition of retaliate

retaliation

retaliative

retaliatory

From the M-W Editors

Examples of retaliate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of retaliate from the Web

Origin and Etymology of retaliate

retaliate Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Synonym Discussion of retaliate

RETALIATE Defined for English Language Learners

retaliate

Definition of retaliate for English Language Learners

RETALIATE Defined for Kids

retaliate

Definition of retaliate for Students

Law Dictionary

retaliate

legal Definition of retaliate

retaliation

retaliative

retaliatory

Learn More about retaliate

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

'Meat Sweats': The Cookout's Worst Nightmare

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066