tit for tat
noun phrase
: an equivalent given in return (as for an injury) : retaliation in kind
tit-for-tat
adjective
Examples of tit for tat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s tariff tit for tat with Canada President Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated a trade war with Canada - and then walked it back.
—
Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
Even if a lasting tariff deal with Canada and Mexico materializes, the tit for tat with China is likely just ramping up.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Mar. 2025
The Biden administration, despite its recent raid in northern Syria, insists on not being drawn into a tit for tat with Iran and its proxies’ recurring attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria.
—Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022
The tit for tat marked the latest in a global trade war that intensified a day earlier, when China slapped retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., deepening trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
Also, practically any time tariffs are imposed, regardless of the types of goods in question, this results in a tit for tat exchange of tariff penalties which ultimately affect the end-user.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The canceled press conference comes amid a tit for tat between Trump and Zelensky.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2025
For Canada and Mexico, the tariff tit for tat could push both of those economies into a recession.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2025
By lowering the threshold for direct strikes, the tit for tat has boosted the odds that the two most powerful states in the Middle East will fight a full-scale war—one that could draw in the United States and have a devastating effect on the region and the global economy.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
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Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
Even if a lasting tariff deal with Canada and Mexico materializes, the tit for tat with China is likely just ramping up.
—Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Mar. 2025
The Biden administration, despite its recent raid in northern Syria, insists on not being drawn into a tit for tat with Iran and its proxies’ recurring attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria.
—Amos Yadlin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022
The tit for tat marked the latest in a global trade war that intensified a day earlier, when China slapped retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., deepening trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
Also, practically any time tariffs are imposed, regardless of the types of goods in question, this results in a tit for tat exchange of tariff penalties which ultimately affect the end-user.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The canceled press conference comes amid a tit for tat between Trump and Zelensky.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2025
For Canada and Mexico, the tariff tit for tat could push both of those economies into a recession.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2025
By lowering the threshold for direct strikes, the tit for tat has boosted the odds that the two most powerful states in the Middle East will fight a full-scale war—one that could draw in the United States and have a devastating effect on the region and the global economy.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Tit for tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tit%20for%20tat. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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