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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.

The mayor characterized Bondi’s retort as a “knee-jerk reaction” from an attorney general faced with damaging public trust concerns at her department.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

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

Do that and we won’t write a snarky retort but a glowing letter of support instead.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

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

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

He bit back the retort that sprang to his lips, that she could take the blackthorn wand if she thought it made no difference, and he would have hers instead.

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling