as in revenge
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
the neighborhood is being torn apart by an endless cycle of gang violence and retribution
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retribution
First and foremost, as was first reported by Shanghai Daily, the child was not seriously injured, so if your first instinct was to fear retribution for laughing at the visual of a humanoid robot doing a Rex-Kwan-Do routine in a clown wig and rocking some little kid in the chest, then worry not.
—
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Any actions by the commission, however, will have to navigate disagreements between France — which has advocated for robust measures — and Germany, which is wary of retribution from its top trading partner.
—Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
And so there was some retribution in that.
—NBC news, 31 May 2026
On March 26, 1997, the Red Wings sought retribution as McCarty went after Lemieux, triggering a full-scale brawl with goalies Roy and Mike Vernon in a bloody fight at center ice.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Any actions by the commission, however, will have to navigate disagreements between France — which has advocated for robust measures — and Germany, which is wary of retribution from its top trading partner.
—Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
And so there was some retribution in that.
—NBC news, 31 May 2026
On March 26, 1997, the Red Wings sought retribution as McCarty went after Lemieux, triggering a full-scale brawl with goalies Roy and Mike Vernon in a bloody fight at center ice.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retribution
Noun
-
After leaving rehab early and returning to South Texas, Beulah's son, Rob-Will Jackson (Jai Courtney), encourages Chet to get revenge for being fired from 10 Petal.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
13 June 2026
-
His pain turns to hatred, and with that, an intense urge for revenge.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
In a follow-up email the next day, the judge speculated to Pryor that the law clerk may have invented things in retaliation for being required to work in the office.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
-
The Big 12 cites cases where government threats of retaliation, including prosecution and legal harassment, constitute an infringement of the freedom of association.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retribution. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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