RETALIATION Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

retaliation

noun

Definition of retaliation

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of retaliation But Washington canceled the attack in part because of Gulf Arab states’ concerns about potential retaliation. — James F. Jeffrey, Foreign Affairs, 3 Sep. 2026 McCoy’s lawsuit alleges that her demotion was in violation of Missouri’s whistleblower statute, which allows public employees to sue for unlawful retaliation after reporting violations of law. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2026 Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu via Getty Images Two former Golden State Warriors employees have sued the NBA franchise, alleging gender, age and race-based discrimination, workplace harassment and retaliation tied to their terminations. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Targeting Chinese banks or other institutions could invite retaliation that jeopardizes the two superpowers’ testy trade detente, which began last year after a volatile tariff war. — Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 Kading also rejected defense arguments that the prosecution’s account was implausible because Davis was not immediately killed in retaliation and because Knight later paid Anderson to testify on his behalf at a probation violation hearing. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026 Attempts to do so last year failed as Belgium, where most of the assets are held, refused to be exposed to Russian retaliation alone. — Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026 Davis described the shooting as an act of retaliation after Knight and Shakur’s entourage beat up Davis’ nephew hours before the shooting. — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026 The new president has vowed a crackdown, which Guzmán warns could lead to retaliations that target critical infrastructure. — Eugenia Perozo, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliation

Noun

Is anyone in The Shards getting revenge at this point, though?

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2026
But where each side diverges is on who was seeking revenge, an act that resulted in the death of an unintended victim — Robinson — instead of Bowman.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of revenge

Noun

But Blanche’s policy priorities are often overshadowed by a growing number of investigations that have drawn criticism that the department is being used as a weapon in the president’s campaign of retribution.

— Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
But park officials never addressed her report or checked on their wellbeing, said the woman, who is a nationwide passholder and asked to remain anonymous to avoid retribution from Six Flags.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of retribution

Browse Nearby Words

retaliating

retaliation

retaliations

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Style

“Retaliation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliation. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of retaliation

noun

Example Sentences

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