as in revengeful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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 retaliatory
And so this clearly appears to be a retaliatory act for jokes made on the air.
—
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Iranian Vice President Esmael Saghab Esfahani said any strike on the country’s oil wells would prompt a retaliatory attack, according to a statement carried by the semiofficial Mehr News Agency.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
The department paid nearly $3 million to former employees since 2019 to settle accusations of pay, age, gender and disability discrimination, whistleblower protection violations, and retaliatory firings.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Mediators in Islamabad have acted as a go-between for Tehran and Washington after the US-Israeli assault on Iran and retaliatory Iranian strikes triggered regional violence.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit claims Mavromatis experienced retaliatory consequences for raising concerns about the harassment and hostile work environment.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
While the area experienced a two-day outbreak of retaliatory violence and road blockades earlier this year following the killing of a drug cartel leader by the government, no international tourists were harmed during the incidents and Puerto Vallarta is by all accounts back to business as usual.
—Carole Dixon, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Her claims involving a retaliatory smear campaign will move forward to the trial next month.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
But both Iran and America sometimes struggle to fully trust Pakistan, which launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian territory in January 2024 — killing at least nine people — and also provided assistance to the Afghan Taliban against American troops.
—Philippe Welti, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Josef Adalian, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
Iranian Vice President Esmael Saghab Esfahani said any strike on the country’s oil wells would prompt a retaliatory attack, according to a statement carried by the semiofficial Mehr News Agency.
—Sarah Dean, NBC news, 25 Apr. 2026
The department paid nearly $3 million to former employees since 2019 to settle accusations of pay, age, gender and disability discrimination, whistleblower protection violations, and retaliatory firings.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 24 Apr. 2026
Mediators in Islamabad have acted as a go-between for Tehran and Washington after the US-Israeli assault on Iran and retaliatory Iranian strikes triggered regional violence.
—Alayna Treene, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
The lawsuit claims Mavromatis experienced retaliatory consequences for raising concerns about the harassment and hostile work environment.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2026
While the area experienced a two-day outbreak of retaliatory violence and road blockades earlier this year following the killing of a drug cartel leader by the government, no international tourists were harmed during the incidents and Puerto Vallarta is by all accounts back to business as usual.
—Carole Dixon, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
Her claims involving a retaliatory smear campaign will move forward to the trial next month.
—Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
But both Iran and America sometimes struggle to fully trust Pakistan, which launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian territory in January 2024 — killing at least nine people — and also provided assistance to the Afghan Taliban against American troops.
—Philippe Welti, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for 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
Adjective
-
Any government action against a licensee would cause a protracted legal battle, even more so given the current media-bashing climate, because a station would likely cite Trump’s retributive streak and mount a First Amendment case.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The images captured by bystanders and immigration agents were reminiscent of the lynching postcards that white spectators once bought and traded — reproductions of retributive violence, tailor-made to titillate and intimidate.—
Tressie McMillan Cottom,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Voters who worry about Talarico’s deployment of faith may not be reassured by Paxton’s rather punitive approach to Christianity.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Also in February, the White House unveiled Project Vault, a $12 billion initiative to stockpile critical minerals and insulate American industry from punitive export restrictions.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Remus added that the board supports the strongest appropriate disciplinary action.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Neither the deputies nor their attorneys would comment on the investigation or the disciplinary records, one of the lawyers said.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In the new South, one scrabbling to industrialize, business owners could now hire unpaid labor through the penal system.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The Mexican Mafia was started in the 1950s at a juvenile jail and grew to an international criminal organization that controls smuggling, drug sales and extortion from inside California’s penal system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retaliatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliatory. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
