Synonym Chooser

How does the noun rejoinder differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rejoinder are answer, reply, response, and retort. While all these words mean "something spoken, written, or done in return," rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection.

a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument

Where would answer be a reasonable alternative to rejoinder?

While in some cases nearly identical to rejoinder, answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need.

had answers to all their questions

When is reply a more appropriate choice than rejoinder?

The meanings of reply and rejoinder largely overlap; however, reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised.

a point-by-point reply to the accusation

When could response be used to replace rejoinder?

The words response and rejoinder can be used in similar contexts, but response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus.

a response to the call for recruits

When can retort be used instead of rejoinder?

The synonyms retort and rejoinder are sometimes interchangeable, but retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack.

she made a cutting retort to her critics

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 rejoinder Johnson’s performance, meanwhile, was a sharp rejoinder to the media attention he’s received this week. Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024 At first glance, recent history would seem to furnish an obvious rejoinder to such caution: the United States waged, and won, a nearly half-century-long global struggle against the Soviet Union. Ali Wyne, Foreign Affairs, 23 Nov. 2022 And on top of that, the movie felt like a cruel rejoinder to anyone who’d ever believed that the once-red-hot Shyamalan could right the ship. Will Leitch, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024 When critics warn about Trump’s threat, the constant rejoinder is that democracy already survived four years of Trump in office. Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 See All Example Sentences for rejoinder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rejoinder
Noun
  • Zelenskyy named his defense minister to lead the talks in response.
    Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • In response, several of DDG’s streamer peers are publicly siding with him.
    Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2025
Noun
  • So what happened between Netflix, Universal, and the Alda camp’s initial replies to Vulture and Fey’s sharing of the good news?
    Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 2 May 2025
  • Bill Belichick, the erstwhile special-teams assistant, once delivered a sensational, 10-minute reply to a question about how long snappers became obligatory virtuosos.
    Tim Graham, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
  • For those who were wondering what exactly went down between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the time between Seasons 1 and 2 of The Last of Us to create such a rift between them, Sunday night's episode finally provided some answers.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 19 May 2025
  • Those answers will shape the Heat’s roster and overall competitiveness.
    Danny Leroux, New York Times, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rejoinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rejoinder. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rejoinder

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