retaliative

Definition of retaliativenext
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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliative
Adjective
  • Gulf territories such as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have borne the brunt of Iran’s retaliatory strikes but are pushing on with plans to expand to place in the international film business.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 12 May 2026
  • North Korea has updated its constitution to require a retaliatory nuclear strike if leader Kim Jong Un is assassinated, according to a report.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 10 May 2026
Adjective
  • DeMar DeRozan had 32, Russell Westbrook had a revengeful 22 and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.
    Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Brian Heil played Don Jose with angst and ultimately, revengeful rage as Carmen’s spurned lover.
    Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Any government action against a licensee would cause a protracted legal battle, even more so given the current media-bashing climate, because a station would likely cite Trump’s retributive streak and mount a First Amendment case.
    Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 15 Mar. 2026
  • The images captured by bystanders and immigration agents were reminiscent of the lynching postcards that white spectators once bought and traded — reproductions of retributive violence, tailor-made to titillate and intimidate.
    Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Before Marseille’s 1-0 win at Le Havre last weekend, the squad were confined to the club’s La Commanderie training base for four consecutive days as a punitive measure after a succession of poor performances.
    Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
  • Angola does not plan to pursue punitive measures against mining companies such as export quotas or bans in order to bolster its domestic mining industry, a senior minerals minister said.
    Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face disciplinary action, including termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.
    Ashley Killough, CNN Money, 18 May 2026
  • These two teams have the worst disciplinary records in the Premier League — neither of them aggressive in any positive sense, but both lacking composure and prone to immaturity and recklessness when the pressure is on.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 May 2026
Adjective
  • The charges included seven counts of falsifying a record and one felony count of abuse of a resident of a penal facility.
    Nichole Manna, ProPublica, 28 Apr. 2026
  • In the new South, one scrabbling to industrialize, business owners could now hire unpaid labor through the penal system.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • In one instance, an execution was called off after correctional officers had already strapped Glossip to a gurney and begun preparing to give him a lethal injection.
    Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 May 2026
  • The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals this week ruled against a White correctional officer who alleged DEI training from the Colorado Department of Corrections created a racially hostile work environment.
    Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 12 May 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Retaliative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliative. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

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