as in retaliations
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of retributions
What starts as a petty territorial conflict mutates into a spiralling cycle of retributions, escalating from passive-aggressive jabs to acts of destruction and ruin.
—
Udita Jhunjhunwala,
Variety,
21 Nov. 2025
Surveys are important, too, so workers feel safe to speak up without any retributions.
—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
Udita Jhunjhunwala,
Variety,
21 Nov. 2025
Surveys are important, too, so workers feel safe to speak up without any retributions.
—
Vicki Salemi,
Boston Herald,
27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retributions
Noun
-
Over the past year, countries rushed to secure piecemeal deals; some allowed panic to overtake them; very few coordinated their actions or retaliations.
-
Neither country can afford to return to the prior tariff rates during the heat of tit-for-tat retaliations, which freaked out Big Tech earlier this year.
Noun
-
Ukrainians say armed formations on both sides, including the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and Polish underground forces, were involved in attacks and reprisals that led to large-scale civilian casualties among both Poles and Ukrainians.
-
Iran’s reprisals have targeted civilians and public spaces across the Middle East.
Cite this Entry
“Retributions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retributions. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
