as in retributive
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Recent Examples of retributory
As Afghanistan's once-again rulers, the Taliban would refrain from retributory violence and respect women's rights - at least so far as Islam allows.
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BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2021
BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retributory
Adjective
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The Austro-Hungarian Empire’s retributive demands against Serbia led Russia, a Serbian ally, to mobilize its forces, which in turn provoked Germany to build up troops against Russia and England, another Russian ally.—
JOEL WUTHNOW,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Sep. 2025
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The ongoing feud between President Trump and Bolton, who served as his national security adviser during his first term, has prompted some critics to argue Friday morning’s raid of his home and office was a retributive act.—
Amalia Huot-Marchand,
The Hill,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Scientists realized that the Netherlands—the site of a 1944 railroad strike in support of the Allies, followed by a retaliatory Nazi blockade on food—had kept meticulous records of a subsequent famine, the Dutch Hunger Winter.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
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Following allegations of bullying and retaliatory action against staff, Oakley had initiated an independent third-party investigation into the accusations.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retributory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retributory. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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