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
Still, as the tit for tat between Iran and Israel showed, war is almost never inevitable.
—
Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
Amid tit for tat calls for accountability during heated exchanges between Thornton Township trustees and Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, officials approved audits of all township departments along with a former official’s credit card during a board meeting Tuesday evening.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2024
Zoom out: Any move to kick Republicans off committees would be a continuation of a tit for tat that has roiled the last two congressional terms.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024
The legal tit for tat between the Biden administration and Republican state attorneys general trying to take down the program is not expected to end any time soon.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
China might well stand on Russia’s side in this economic tit for tat.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022
Legality aside, such moves feel tit for tat, so that each change of government might feel like a revolution.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2024
The tit for tat that had led to the assassination had included the killing of a U.S. contractor, but no U.S. soldiers.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2024
These are tit for tat attacks that have been taking place on either side of the Iran-Pakistan border.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
Amid tit for tat calls for accountability during heated exchanges between Thornton Township trustees and Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, officials approved audits of all township departments along with a former official’s credit card during a board meeting Tuesday evening.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2024
Zoom out: Any move to kick Republicans off committees would be a continuation of a tit for tat that has roiled the last two congressional terms.
—Andrew Solender, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024
The legal tit for tat between the Biden administration and Republican state attorneys general trying to take down the program is not expected to end any time soon.
—Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
China might well stand on Russia’s side in this economic tit for tat.
—Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2022
Legality aside, such moves feel tit for tat, so that each change of government might feel like a revolution.
—Lenora Chu, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2024
The tit for tat that had led to the assassination had included the killing of a U.S. contractor, but no U.S. soldiers.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2024
These are tit for tat attacks that have been taking place on either side of the Iran-Pakistan border.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2024
Dictionary Entries Near tit for tat
Cite this Entry
“Tit for tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tit%20for%20tat. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share