retaliative

adjective

Definition of retaliativenext
as in retaliatory

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliative
  1. retaliatory
  2. revengeful
  3. retributive
  4. punitive
  5. disciplinary
  6. penal
  7. correctional
Adjective
  • The targeting of civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, particularly airports, illustrates the retaliatory logic the Houthis have invoked to justify their actions.
    — Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Security forces arrested four armed civilians and recovered four firearms, according to the ministry’s statement, which urged communities to avoid retaliatory attacks.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of retaliatory
Adjective
  • DeMar DeRozan had 32, Russell Westbrook had a revengeful 22 and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Brian Heil played Don Jose with angst and ultimately, revengeful rage as Carmen’s spurned lover.
    — Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Definition of revengeful
Adjective
  • The interviewees were willing to talk openly and honestly about Trump covered by anonymity, a necessity to protect them from this fiercely thin-skinned and retributive president.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026
  • And there’s no question that Israel was pursuing both a political agenda as well as retributive-justice agenda.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 10 June 2026
Definition of retributive
Adjective
  • Yet there are few examples in history of adversaries conceding to maximalist demands in the face of punitive bombing campaigns alone—even by the world’s greatest air force.
    — Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
  • An exploration of self-perception and a non-punitive confrontation with the past.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of punitive
Adjective
  • Hospitals require a multi-disciplinary team of specialists working together to provide care for the patients before, during and after treatment.
    — Steven Ross Johnson, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The court rejected the taxpayer’s argument and warned Wagner that submitting fake citations could lead to sanctions from the court, including financial penalties or disciplinary action against Wagner.
    — Kaitlin Newkirk, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of disciplinary
Adjective
  • For Beccaria, an execution’s fleeting spectacle deterred less effectively than lifelong penal servitude.
    — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Their ruling states that investigators should not have cited penal law as justification for seizing the artwork, and reproaches a lower court’s previous approval of their methods.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of penal
Adjective
  • In general, correctional officers should not be involved with inmates’ medical decisions, but health care providers do not have the authority to remove restraints; such decisions reside with the correctional facility.
    — M. Sara Rosenthal, STAT, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Just under 34,000 employees work for the agency, but not all are correctional officers.
    — Scott Peyton, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of correctional
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.

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retaliative
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Cite this Entry

“Retaliative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliative. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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