vindictive

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.

After the veteran argued he was the victim of a vindictive prosecution, Boasberg allowed for an inquiry into whether the case was rooted in punishing him for constitutionally protected speech.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

All would be lost, however, without Mays’ quicksilver brilliance — the way he can shift from savage irony to vindictive rage to godless despair in the space of a line.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

Human Rights Watch called the verdict "cruel and vindictive", as well as an "alarming act of collective punishment".

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

Back in October, Judge Waverly Crenshaw ruled that there was a “realistic likelihood” that the government had launched a vindictive prosecution against Abrego Garcia, which would render the criminal charges unconstitutional.

From Slate • Dec. 12, 2025

I never thought people could be that angry, that vindictive.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo