1
as in insults
a quick witty response
she responded to the heckler with a scathing but hilarious retort that instantly won over the audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in responses
something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question
the salesclerk responded to my query about the price with a brusque retort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in replies
to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction
when told she couldn't have it, she retorted, "Fine, I didn't want it anyway!"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retorts
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
The hearing also lacked contentious partisan moments, but there were some sharp retorts.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
Affleck's Will retorts as a wink to David Schwimmer's line as Ross Geller to Aniston's Rachel Green on Friends.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
The Moon is at odds with three planets, which can trigger arguments, snide remarks and even cruel retorts.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
In amongst the abuse hurled at Rory McIlroy, the beer thrown at Rory McIlroy, the emphatic retorts from Rory McIlroy and also some golf from Rory McIlory (and 23 other guys), something interesting kept cropping up during the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Smaller groups of five, 40 or a little under a hundred people gather routinely with posters, chants and, sometimes, retorts for passing motorists who support the president.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Rank-and-file Democrats also have applauded Pritzker’s bullish retorts to Trump in recent days.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
But businesses are hoping for more than just retorts.
—Satviki Sanjay Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2025
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
In theory, Thune has an open-door policy and frequently retorts that Schumer has his cellphone number or can make the short walk to his office.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
LeBron James didn’t hold back from his retorts over his late-in-the-game elbow injury Thursday night against the Denver Nuggets.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 6 Mar. 2026
The hearing also lacked contentious partisan moments, but there were some sharp retorts.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026
Affleck's Will retorts as a wink to David Schwimmer's line as Ross Geller to Aniston's Rachel Green on Friends.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
The Moon is at odds with three planets, which can trigger arguments, snide remarks and even cruel retorts.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
In amongst the abuse hurled at Rory McIlroy, the beer thrown at Rory McIlroy, the emphatic retorts from Rory McIlroy and also some golf from Rory McIlory (and 23 other guys), something interesting kept cropping up during the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Smaller groups of five, 40 or a little under a hundred people gather routinely with posters, chants and, sometimes, retorts for passing motorists who support the president.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Rank-and-file Democrats also have applauded Pritzker’s bullish retorts to Trump in recent days.
—Amie Parnes, The Hill, 28 Aug. 2025
But businesses are hoping for more than just retorts.
—Satviki Sanjay Bloomberg, Arkansas Online, 9 Aug. 2025
Verb
Olga retorts that his bird’s-eye analysis is a clever way of doing nothing.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
In theory, Thune has an open-door policy and frequently retorts that Schumer has his cellphone number or can make the short walk to his office.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retorts
Noun
-
The play unfolds as a series of battles, where the unaccomplished George and the bitterly disappointed Martha exchange vicious and demeaning insults, using Nick and Honey as the unsuspecting pawns in their war for supremacy.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The British, by contrast, preferred their insults more oblique.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Company responses so far also appear supportive.—
Erica Yokoyama,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Human studies cited in that review found that meals rich in olive oil produced higher post-meal GLP-1 responses than butter-rich meals, suggesting unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, may stimulate the hormone more effectively than saturated fats.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Minear replies coyly when asked a question that assumes Dixie and Buck went home together.—
Patrick Gomez,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The voice that replies, however, is not that of his wife but rather an impoverished young woman who has entered the medium’s caravan to steal food.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The exchanges have included headline-making ripostes from Christian Pulisic and his entourage.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Morning conversations favor clear requests and thoughtful answers.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Even though speaking to politicians feels like pulling teeth sometimes, Mahan compares favorably to many of our other candidates in the style and substance of his answers.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The White House pledge for tech companies responds to fears of what data center buildouts mean for everyday Americans’ strained wallets.—
Eric Schmidt,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The process of understanding how the human immune system responds to such a treatment will certainly be illuminating, says Foxman.—
Veronique Greenwood,
Time,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In his first season in Seattle, Sam Darnold vastly outplayed his contract while delivering a dream season and completing one of the most admirable comebacks stories in NFL history.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Sarah Ferguson has forged comebacks in the past after scandals, but that seems unlikely after her association with Jeffrey Epstein.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retorts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retorts. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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