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Definitions

retort

[ri-tawrt] / rɪˈtɔrt /
NOUN
snappy answer
Synonyms
STRONGEST
quip rejoinder repartee
STRONG
antiphon comeback cooler counter crack gag jape jest joke lip reply reprisal respond response retaliation return revenge riposte sally topper wisecrack witticism
WEAK
back answer back talk parting shot snappy comeback
Antonyms
STRONG
kindness question request sympathy
VERB
answer
Synonyms
STRONGEST
rebut
STRONG
counter crack rejoin repay reply requite respond retaliate return riposte sass squelch top
WEAK
answer back come back at shoot back snap back talk back
Antonyms
STRONG
ask question request take

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Among the responses threaded below Wilson’s retort, one is an edit of promotional materials for a 2011 television adaptation of Moby-Dick.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

Having been criticized by Cronin for folding when things get tough, the Bruins offered a strong retort in the first half on the way to taking a 36-32 lead by the game’s midpoint.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

Mamdani's retort is that he's more like a Scandinavian politician, only browner.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

“Words mean things” is a common retort thrown around online in response to pseudo-intellectual posts and egregiously inaccurate conflations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

The Amazon is not wild, archaeologists and anthropologists retort.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.