as in revenge
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
police believe that the murder was in retaliation for an earlier gangland execution
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Recent Examples of retaliation
Eventually, under pressure, Driscoll put together a list of 6,000 people that included employee identification numbers, not names, in order to protect the FBI workers from retaliation and threats.
—
Carrie Johnson, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Aiding Ukraine has already begun to be a controversial subject in Poland; the prospect of Russian attacks in retaliation could drive up opposition, especially if the United States proves unreliable.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
Avoid retaliation risks by keeping interactions professional and focusing on facts, not emotions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Tart appeared to strike Kelce with an open-handed blow in retaliation.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Alexander Brian Foster was sentenced for creating a retaliation video meant to harass some victims and their lawyers.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
The First Amendment protects not just public speech and expression against government retaliation but also the public's ability to access information without government censorship.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Such is the state of affairs that workers often stay silent until conditions become intolerable and the fear of the status quo outweighs the fear of retaliation, Ravi said.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 8 Sep. 2025
That includes laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender, and other classifications and laws protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.
—Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Carrie Johnson, NPR, 10 Sep. 2025
Aiding Ukraine has already begun to be a controversial subject in Poland; the prospect of Russian attacks in retaliation could drive up opposition, especially if the United States proves unreliable.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
Avoid retaliation risks by keeping interactions professional and focusing on facts, not emotions.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Tart appeared to strike Kelce with an open-handed blow in retaliation.
—Paulina Dedaj, FOXNews.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Alexander Brian Foster was sentenced for creating a retaliation video meant to harass some victims and their lawyers.
—Alex Riggins, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
The First Amendment protects not just public speech and expression against government retaliation but also the public's ability to access information without government censorship.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Such is the state of affairs that workers often stay silent until conditions become intolerable and the fear of the status quo outweighs the fear of retaliation, Ravi said.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 8 Sep. 2025
That includes laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, gender, and other classifications and laws protecting whistleblowers from retaliation.
—Dan Eaton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliation
Noun
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In the lead-up to this revenge match, Rodgers insisted that this was Week 1, and only Week 1.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Rodgers will look to replicate his success, while star wide receiver DK Metcalf will have his chance at a revenge game against his old team.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While there is definitely debate on whether or not the graphic videos of Kirk’s death should be shown, those rejoicing in his death are receiving rapid retribution.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The new policy began September 5, and its effects have since rippled across the sprawling agency, according to two people at NASA who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Retaliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliation. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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