as in revengeful
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Recent Examples of retaliatory
Burroughs dismissed a retaliatory arrest claim made against Payne, the Boston police officer named in the lawsuit.
—
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 71,795 Palestinians, including 523 since this ceasefire started, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Under the deal, Ottawa would roll back 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles while Beijing would lift retaliatory tariffs on Canadian canola seeds and meal.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Now European leaders, after tiptoeing around Trump for the past year, are openly discussing retaliatory tariffs.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
That in turn prompted threats of retaliatory economic measures from those countries, which were already subject to tariffs of 10% and 15%.
—Richard Hall, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
The Court dismissed Wayfarer's retaliatory countersuit in its entirety last June.
—Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Busfield's attorneys have argued that the allegations emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Busfield’s attorneys have argued that the allegations emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive.
—Morgan Lee, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 5 Feb. 2026
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 71,795 Palestinians, including 523 since this ceasefire started, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Under the deal, Ottawa would roll back 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles while Beijing would lift retaliatory tariffs on Canadian canola seeds and meal.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Now European leaders, after tiptoeing around Trump for the past year, are openly discussing retaliatory tariffs.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
That in turn prompted threats of retaliatory economic measures from those countries, which were already subject to tariffs of 10% and 15%.
—Richard Hall, Time, 21 Jan. 2026
The Court dismissed Wayfarer's retaliatory countersuit in its entirety last June.
—Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026
Busfield's attorneys have argued that the allegations emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive.
—CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Busfield’s attorneys have argued that the allegations emerged only after the boys lost their role in the TV show, creating a financial and retaliatory motive.
—Morgan Lee, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliatory
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
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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
-
For millennia, punishment was considered morally defensible purely on retributive grounds.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
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Instead, Trump is reinforcing a pattern of tit-for-tat retributive permitting that could ultimately be more damaging to the oil and gas industry, which is under pressure to maintain market share in the US and globally before the economy shifts more to clean energy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Although labeled a lateral move, this punitive transfer functioned as a demotion in responsibility, stature, and opportunity.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The memo, written by district general counsel Sonja McKenzie, said Brenda Smith’s administrative leave is not considered by district officials to be a punitive action.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The judge ordered the Department of Corrections to stop using solitary confinement that lasts longer than three days to punish prisoners for failing to work, and to stop stacking disciplinary infractions related to failure to work to increase the severity of possible punishments.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2026
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Healy used to be one of the organizers of the multi-disciplinary Hartford arts venue The Wherehouse, which closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Russell is charged with both abuse of residents in penal facilities and misconduct in public office.—
Kelli Arseneau,
jsonline.com,
12 Feb. 2026
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In many cases, those who have been arrested are, in essence, disappeared into the federal penal system.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retaliatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliatory. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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