as in revenge
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
police believe that the murder was in retaliation for an earlier gangland execution
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Recent Examples of retaliation
All three lawsuits allege retaliation by town officials against the plaintiffs.
—
Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026
Busfield has called the allegations an act of retaliation after the boys were recast on the show.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
Lively is allowed to pursue certain claims of retaliation against Baldoni's public relations team over alleged harm to her reputation, according to the ruling by Judge Lewis Liman.
—Gma Team, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
An Israeli attack in March on the South Pars gas field sparked a major Iranian retaliation targeting oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf Arab states.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Any group of employees that forms an internal clique with secret membership, intimidation, special treatment, or retaliation is incompatible with public service and will be eliminated from this department.
—Opinion Staff, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran has effectively closed the strait to most traffic in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on the country, choking off around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply from global energy markets.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
America’s allies in Europe and Asia took the indignity of unilateral tariff increases with relatively little retaliation.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
Liman’s decision drops Lively’s claims of harassment, defamation and conspiracy, meaning the trial will now center on alleged breach of contract and retaliation by Wayfarer and aiding and abetting retaliation by the PR firm working for Baldoni.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2026
Charlotte Observer, 7 Apr. 2026
Busfield has called the allegations an act of retaliation after the boys were recast on the show.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
Lively is allowed to pursue certain claims of retaliation against Baldoni's public relations team over alleged harm to her reputation, according to the ruling by Judge Lewis Liman.
—Gma Team, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2026
An Israeli attack in March on the South Pars gas field sparked a major Iranian retaliation targeting oil and gas infrastructure across the Gulf Arab states.
—Max Burman, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026
Any group of employees that forms an internal clique with secret membership, intimidation, special treatment, or retaliation is incompatible with public service and will be eliminated from this department.
—Opinion Staff, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
Iran has effectively closed the strait to most traffic in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes on the country, choking off around one-fifth of the world’s oil supply from global energy markets.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
America’s allies in Europe and Asia took the indignity of unilateral tariff increases with relatively little retaliation.
—Idrees Kahloon, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
Liman’s decision drops Lively’s claims of harassment, defamation and conspiracy, meaning the trial will now center on alleged breach of contract and retaliation by Wayfarer and aiding and abetting retaliation by the PR firm working for Baldoni.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliation
Noun
-
Consider this evilmeister’s brazen acts of treason and revenge, unbounded deceit, swinish immorality and negative role modeling.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Out of such poverty comes hatred, resentment and a desire for revenge, and this cycle of hostility can continue for years.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Local politicians that previously supported the chorus, either socially or financially, are now fearful of retribution by the governor, Cabrera said.—
Amanda Rosa,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Resistance, rebellion and retribution all come out to play in one of Disney+’s most consistent series that’s unafraid to put its larger-than-life characters into the maw of Venus fly trap-like set of moral and ethical issues.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retaliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliation. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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