as in to avenge
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for retaliated his neighbor's malicious destruction of his flower garden by cutting down the man's prize apple tree

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How does the verb retaliate contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of retaliate are reciprocate, requite, and return. While all these words mean "to give back usually in kind or in quantity," retaliate usually implies a paying back of injury in exact kind, often vengefully.

the enemy retaliated by executing their prisoners

When is reciprocate a more appropriate choice than retaliate?

While in some cases nearly identical to retaliate, 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

Where would requite be a reasonable alternative to retaliate?

While the synonyms requite and retaliate are close in meaning, requite implies a paying back according to one's preference and often not equivalently.

requited her love with cold indifference

When could return be used to replace retaliate?

The words return and retaliate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, return implies a paying or giving back.

returned their call
return good for evil

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 retaliate Moscow did not retaliate militarily. Freddie Clayton, NBC news, 22 Sep. 2025 Mobs retaliated by torching buildings, looting banks and shops, and attacking politicians in their homes. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025 The French retaliated, subdued the Amerindians, killing many and driving the rest to the north of the island. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 19 Sep. 2025 After Skydio sold drones to Taiwan, Beijing retaliated last year by cutting off the company’s access to Chinese batteries, prompting the company to ration them to only one per drone. Seth Harp, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for retaliate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliate
avenge
Verb
  • The Dragons avenged that defeat in a 56-7 regional final rout of Byron Nelson that same year.
    Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The Detroit Tigers avenged their massive collapse in the American League Central in their playoff matchup against the division champion Cleveland Guardians.
    Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Retaliate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliate. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on retaliate

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