as in retaliatory
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Recent Examples of retributive
To be sure, some retributive violence has clearly taken place, and thousands of Syrians fearful of militant control have fled to Lebanon.
—
Sam Heller, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
By then, President Franklin Pierce and his secretary of war, Jefferson Davis, had already endorsed a retributive expedition of their own against the Lakota.
—Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The twist of the knife that unleashes Sienna's retributive fury is a revelation that the gruesome pair killed, beheaded, and seemingly stripped the flesh from Jonathan's skull.
Want more movie news?
—EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Ultimately, the goal is to break free from the same cycle of retributive politics that has dogged Bangladesh for decades.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for retributive
Sam Heller, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2024
By then, President Franklin Pierce and his secretary of war, Jefferson Davis, had already endorsed a retributive expedition of their own against the Lakota.
—Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
The twist of the knife that unleashes Sienna's retributive fury is a revelation that the gruesome pair killed, beheaded, and seemingly stripped the flesh from Jonathan's skull.
Want more movie news?
—EW.com, 17 Oct. 2024
Ultimately, the goal is to break free from the same cycle of retributive politics that has dogged Bangladesh for decades.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 3 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for retributive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retributive
Adjective
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Fans hoping for a revengeful scoring outburst were left wanting a little more, however, as Dončić — a career 28.6 points per game scorer — added only 10 points over the final three quarters.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC News,
26 Feb. 2025
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Eventually, this revengeful streak will result in loneliness and isolation.—
Nicole Froio,
refinery29.com,
29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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As tensions escalated with Pakistan after India accused it of having a supporting hand in a terror attack that killed over two dozen Indians last month, the Indian authorities announced punitive measures, including expelling Pakistani citizens.—
Suhasini Raj,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
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Their exceedingly ambitious goal: to find compromise and a middle ground on one of the most contentious and insoluble issues of recent decades — and to bring some balance to a Trump policy that is almost wholly punitive in its nature and intent.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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In the report on El Salvador, whose penal system has become a dumping ground for migrants deported from the United States, there will be no details on the conditions in those prisons.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
1 May 2025
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Convicted in London for conducting clandestine marriages, Grierson was sentenced to 14 years of penal servitude in the American Colonies.—
Alexandra Cox,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The group, which had already begun a series of internal disciplinary actions, found that Figari sodomized his recruits and forced them to fondle him and one another.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
18 May 2025
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He was asked by Cardinal George to take a disciplinary leave of absence following the remarks, but shortly returned to his parish duties.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retributive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retributive. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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