as in revenge
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
the neighborhood is being torn apart by an endless cycle of gang violence and retribution
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Recent Examples of retribution
Bove said Odón would face retribution if returned to Venezuela.
—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2026
Max, who declined to describe his immigration status, requested his last name and the name of his daughter not be published for fear of retribution from the government.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Moreover, the current regime in Washington has already demonstrated a monstrous capacity for retribution.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Most of those cases are believed to be sitting idle as investigators prioritize easier complaints, according to staffers who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
—Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2026
Max, who declined to describe his immigration status, requested his last name and the name of his daughter not be published for fear of retribution from the government.
—Rick Jervis, USA Today, 29 Jan. 2026
Moreover, the current regime in Washington has already demonstrated a monstrous capacity for retribution.
—Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
Most of those cases are believed to be sitting idle as investigators prioritize easier complaints, according to staffers who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
—Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retribution
Noun
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Seahawks fans and the players absolutely looking for revenge.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Feb. 2026
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The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 last year to exact revenge for a 38-35 loss in Super Bowl LVII.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The Chinese government reacted by telling Chinese citizens not to travel to Japan, threatening economic retaliation, and pulling the plug on meetings that were long planned, putting a pretty deep freeze on China-Japan relations.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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And second, while owner Jeff Bezos may have protected his space company from presidential retaliation, there’s no sign the Post won any benefits from the president or his movement.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retribution. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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