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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retaliation
Sappenfield was permanently banned by the United States Center for SafeSport in May 2024 for physical and emotional misconduct, retaliation, abuse of process, and failure to report a potential SafeSport violation.
—
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
December was a busy month for retaliation.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
There have been numerous documentaries made about the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’ massacre of Israelis on October 7th, 2023, and was followed by a brutal retaliation from the IDF, who killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the Gaza Strip.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
No judge should be above the Constitution, and no citizen should fear retaliation for asserting their rights.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
In a sign of how bitter relations have sunk, in January star Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman had his Indian Premier League contract abruptly canceled, prompting Dhaka to ban broadcasts of the league in retaliation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Ireland's leadership traveled as well, while Australia sought stabilization after years of intense trade frictions, recriminations, and retaliation.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Fitzpatrick, 68, who also attends the statewide meetings told the Free Press that fear of staff retaliation keeps many nursing home residents from participating and voicing their concerns on issues like increasing the personal needs allowance.
—Kristi Tanner, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The October 2024 incident prompted a lawsuit in January by Jeffrey Noble, a former IT employee who said he was fired in retaliation for reporting misconduct by the mayor that overnight, including video showing Carney pantless.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 16 Feb. 2026
December was a busy month for retaliation.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
There have been numerous documentaries made about the war in Gaza, which began with Hamas’ massacre of Israelis on October 7th, 2023, and was followed by a brutal retaliation from the IDF, who killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of the Gaza Strip.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
No judge should be above the Constitution, and no citizen should fear retaliation for asserting their rights.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
In a sign of how bitter relations have sunk, in January star Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman had his Indian Premier League contract abruptly canceled, prompting Dhaka to ban broadcasts of the league in retaliation.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Ireland's leadership traveled as well, while Australia sought stabilization after years of intense trade frictions, recriminations, and retaliation.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026
Fitzpatrick, 68, who also attends the statewide meetings told the Free Press that fear of staff retaliation keeps many nursing home residents from participating and voicing their concerns on issues like increasing the personal needs allowance.
—Kristi Tanner, Freep.com, 13 Feb. 2026
The October 2024 incident prompted a lawsuit in January by Jeffrey Noble, a former IT employee who said he was fired in retaliation for reporting misconduct by the mayor that overnight, including video showing Carney pantless.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliation
Noun
-
The Uxbridge Police Department in Massachusetts posted a tongue-in-cheek poem urging residents to get revenge by reporting exes with active warrants.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The Cyclones earned some revenge for an 84-63 loss at Kansas that started the Jayhawks’ run of Big 12 wins.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Trump remains unpredictable, though, and eager to seek retribution.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Captain Auston Matthews made the pass to Guentzel, and Zach Werenski — who accidentally knocked the puck into his own net on Denmark’s first goal credited to Nick Olesen — had the secondary assist to get some retribution.—
Stephen Whyno,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retaliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliation. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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