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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Recent Examples of retribution
Steer ended up getting plunked on Thursday, retribution for his Jomboy-worthy fracas.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Farmworkers who turned to advocacy groups for help spoke to The Times about their experiences but did not want to be identified for fear of retribution from their employers and the federal government.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Film’s outrage at the spectacle draws him toward Phamorn, and what begins as solidarity gradually reveals a deeper story of exploitation and the hunger for retribution.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Another employee spoke with The New Yorker for the 2016 story while wearing a disguise, worried about retribution.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2026
Farmworkers who turned to advocacy groups for help spoke to The Times about their experiences but did not want to be identified for fear of retribution from their employers and the federal government.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Film’s outrage at the spectacle draws him toward Phamorn, and what begins as solidarity gradually reveals a deeper story of exploitation and the hunger for retribution.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Another employee spoke with The New Yorker for the 2016 story while wearing a disguise, worried about retribution.
—Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for retribution
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retribution
Noun
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To say both programs, but even more so both fan bases, want revenge against their former coach would be quite the understatement.—
Mark Harris OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
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The movie is understood to follow a sheriff and a doctor who seek revenge against a group of bandits who use the cover of a torrential thunderstorm to rob and terrorize the occupants of a small town.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some witnesses from immigrant communities declined to participate in the in-person hearings, citing fears of retaliation from the federal government, Baset said.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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The union accuses the company of engaging in interference and retaliation by disciplining a bargaining committee member for attending bargaining sessions, protected activity under federal law.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retribution.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retribution. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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