as in retaliatory
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliative
Adjective
-
And so this clearly appears to be a retaliatory act for jokes made on the air.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026 -
Iranian Vice President Esmael Saghab Esfahani said any strike on the country’s oil wells would prompt a retaliatory attack, according to a statement carried by the semiofficial Mehr News Agency.—
Sarah Dean,
NBC news,
25 Apr. 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
-
The union picked up $50,000 from United Teachers Los Angeles and another $50,000 from Smart Justice California, a group focused on less punitive public safety strategies.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
-
And consequences shouldn’t be punitive.—
Krista Spurgin,
Denver Post,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
My administration will modernize oversight by making more commission data, disciplinary outcomes and policy decisions accessible to the public.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
Inmates who have disciplinary issues such as committing an assault in prison can be reclassified, at least temporarily, to a more restrictive environment, Fitzpatrick said.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 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
-
Thedford didn’t doubt that Talley made efforts at self-improvement while behind bars, but noted that one of his previous cases involved a charge of Talley throwing feces at a correctional officer while in custody.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Video footage of the incident obtained by KQED appears to show the women gesticulating and shouting at the correctional staff before the officers form a line and deploy pepper spray and mace grenades at the group.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 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 7 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
