as in retaliatory
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
-
Still employed, but no raise The mayor’s colleagues wisely rejected that punitive step, and commissioners Steve Glassman and John Herbst then joined the mayor in rejecting a 3% merit pay raise for Williams.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
-
His persistence in teaching, even under Lomax’s punitive schedules, shows his resilience.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
That administration established political control over key judicial institutions by stacking higher courts with friendly judges and punishing its critics with disciplinary action or assignments to faraway locations.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
-
Councilmember Vickie Paladino has agreed to drop her lawsuit against the City Council, which will now end disciplinary proceedings against her — the latest step in an ongoing saga over a series of anti-Muslim tweets posted by the councilmember.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
11 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.
Cite this Entry
“Retaliative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliative. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
