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retaliate

[ri-tal-ee-eyt] / rɪˈtæl iˌeɪt /


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.

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"I am going to call Bibi right now and tell him not to retaliate," Trump told Axios, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

From BBC Jun. 8, 2026

On Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it reserved the “legitimate and definite” right to retaliate against violations to its cease-fire agreement with the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal report.

From MarketWatch May 26, 2026

China has threatened to retaliate if the rules are adopted.

From Barron's May 6, 2026

District Judge Randolph Moss issued an injunction, stating the president cannot use governmental power to retaliate against disfavored expression.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 31, 2026

One day she decided to retaliate against a red-haired white woman who scowled at the sight of Cora’s duties “at sea.”

From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead

As Iran retaliates against its oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbours, the benchmark price for a barrel of crude soared beyond $100 for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

From Barron's Mar. 8, 2026

The testimony is central to the Justice Department’s claim that Live Nation retaliates against venues.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 2, 2026

Yet at every turn, Deborah finds some excuse to backstab Ava, allegedly out of some version of respect, and Ava retaliates by sabotaging herself and her boss.

From Salon Apr. 10, 2025

Starbucks has long denied it retaliates against workers organizing.

From Washington Times Jul. 6, 2023

“You don’t answer very many of them,” Bailey retaliates.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

They said Crowley’s repeated warnings were ignored and that Bass retaliated by ousting her.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 23, 2026

"Two countries in the world retaliated against us: The People's Republic of China and Canada," he told reporters last week.

From BBC Jun. 2, 2026

The U.N.’s yearlong inquiry, whose summary we have reviewed, found a “factual basis” for the alleged victim’s allegations and for allegations that Mr. Khan retaliated against ICC staff.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 27, 2026

It dropped another 6% the following day, after China retaliated with tariffs of its own.

From MarketWatch Apr. 23, 2026

But as Lefty began to feel left out, he retaliated with tradition.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Immigration attorneys and advocates are accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of retaliating against detainees taking part in hunger strikes over inhumane conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 11, 2026

She alleged that all the Laredo officials involved in her arrest had violated her First Amendment rights and were retaliating against her over her earlier reporting.

From Slate Mar. 26, 2026

Late in the second quarter, Cade Cunningham barged Stephon Castle to the floor, angering Spurs teammate Keldon Johnson who earned a technical foul for retaliating.

From Barron's Feb. 24, 2026

The tech giant denies retaliating against Woodall and argues she became "paranoid" after whistleblowing and began to view normal business activities as "sinister".

From BBC Jan. 10, 2026

“You’ve been mad all this time because I picked my best friend? And you thought retaliating by calling us horrible and hurtful names would fix things?”

From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence




Vocabulary lists containing retaliate


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