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.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2021
BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retributory
Adjective
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For millennia, punishment was considered morally defensible purely on retributive grounds.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
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Instead, Trump is reinforcing a pattern of tit-for-tat retributive permitting that could ultimately be more damaging to the oil and gas industry, which is under pressure to maintain market share in the US and globally before the economy shifts more to clean energy.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
23 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Burroughs dismissed a retaliatory arrest claim made against Payne, the Boston police officer named in the lawsuit.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
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Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed 71,795 Palestinians, including 523 since this ceasefire started, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retributory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retributory. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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