as in reparation
payment to another for a loss or injury
a peace agreement that was rejected because it contained no provisions for reprisals
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Recent Examples of reprisals
Some witnesses have asked to testify anonymously for fear of reprisals.
—
Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Beijing, which regards the self-governing island as part of its territory, has since stepped up diplomatic and trade reprisals against Japan.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the movie’s villains — played by recognizable faces, among them Heather Graham and Tom Felton — get pretty much zero by way of personality, or even superficial nastiness, making Asia’s reprisals a whole lot less entertaining.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Barzani’s movement collapsed within weeks, and Iraqi forces launched reprisals that displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
On the Facebook post, commenters hinted that the reason may be fear of reprisals from area gangs.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 Feb. 2026
By the next evening, Saedi was dying in his father’s arms – shot in the face on the street in Tehran during a brutal crackdown on demonstrations by Iranian security forces, according to a relative inside Iran who spoke to CNN anonymously for fear of reprisals.
—Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, the possibility that educators could face state reprisals has prompted districts to take a stricter line.
—Jeffrey S. Solochek, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Mogomotsi Magome, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Beijing, which regards the self-governing island as part of its territory, has since stepped up diplomatic and trade reprisals against Japan.
—ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, the movie’s villains — played by recognizable faces, among them Heather Graham and Tom Felton — get pretty much zero by way of personality, or even superficial nastiness, making Asia’s reprisals a whole lot less entertaining.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Barzani’s movement collapsed within weeks, and Iraqi forces launched reprisals that displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
The witness spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
On the Facebook post, commenters hinted that the reason may be fear of reprisals from area gangs.
—Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 27 Feb. 2026
By the next evening, Saedi was dying in his father’s arms – shot in the face on the street in Tehran during a brutal crackdown on demonstrations by Iranian security forces, according to a relative inside Iran who spoke to CNN anonymously for fear of reprisals.
—Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 26 Feb. 2026
Still, the possibility that educators could face state reprisals has prompted districts to take a stricter line.
—Jeffrey S. Solochek, Sun Sentinel, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprisals
Noun
-
Iran countered with its own five conditions in return, including war reparations and rights over the Strait of Hormuz for Iran.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The payment of war damages and reparations.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The family is now suing, in part, for monetary damages, disciplinary action against the deputy, and more departmental training.—
Zach Boetto,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
To the extent permitted by applicable law, all judgments or awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket damages (excluding attorneys’ fees) associated with participation in this Promotion and shall not include any indirect, punitive, incidental and/or consequential damages.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reprisals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprisals. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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