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
Pause Protocol Interface: A frontline tool that lets workers flag questionable AI outputs—anonymously, without fear of reprisal—restoring agency to the edge of the system.
—
Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
These societies inevitably fail and are never as productive and successful as countries where freedom of thought and expression are not stubbed out via fear of reprisal.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2025
That dream is complicated by a mob rivalry with many reprisals and corpses by the dozen.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 20 July 2025
The description of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as genocide has been highly contentious.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Shekar Natarajan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
These societies inevitably fail and are never as productive and successful as countries where freedom of thought and expression are not stubbed out via fear of reprisal.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2025
That dream is complicated by a mob rivalry with many reprisals and corpses by the dozen.
—Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 20 July 2025
The description of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as genocide has been highly contentious.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprisal
Noun
-
The reparations bill has sparked considerable debate, in part because it was vetoed by Wes Moore, the country’s only Black governor.—
Nkechi Taifa,
Baltimore Sun,
28 July 2025
-
The Court found that large GHG emitting countries, like the United States could be liable to pay reparations to smaller countries for the adverse impacts of climate change.—
Jon McGowan,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Gaza played host to the conflict’s multiple historical layers of enmity, rage, and revenge.—
Hussein Agha,
New Yorker,
22 Aug. 2025
-
It’s driven by entitlement, ideology, revenge, or the pursuit of power.—
Victor Petreca,
Time,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
With exit and severance packages pending, many former and current workers would only speak anonymously, out of fear of retribution.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
21 Aug. 2025
-
After Hank flees to New Vegas, Lucy and The Ghoul follow him in pursuit of retribution.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reprisal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprisal. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share