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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Any government action against a licensee would cause a protracted legal battle, even more so given the current media-bashing climate, because a station would likely cite Trump’s retributive streak and mount a First Amendment case.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
15 Mar. 2026
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The images captured by bystanders and immigration agents were reminiscent of the lynching postcards that white spectators once bought and traded — reproductions of retributive violence, tailor-made to titillate and intimidate.—
Tressie McMillan Cottom,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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His announcement came a week after a Suffolk Superior Court judge decided to allow a lawsuit that alleges retaliatory assessment practices by the city to proceed.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
26 May 2026
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In response, Iran launched waves of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retributory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retributory. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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