retaliate Definition
- 1to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you
- 2to take revenge
Using retaliate: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "retaliate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The company will retaliate against any employee who speaks out against them.
Example
He retaliated by spreading rumors about her.
Example
The army retaliated with a massive air strike.
Example
She didn't want to retaliate and instead chose to forgive him.
retaliate Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with retaliate
to respond to an action with a similar action, usually one that is harmful or negative
Example
The government threatened to retaliate against any country that imposed trade sanctions.
an attack made in response to an earlier attack
Example
The retaliation attack was swift and devastating.
a policy of responding to an attack with a counterattack
Example
The country's retaliation policy was seen as aggressive and dangerous.
Origins of retaliate
from Latin 'retaliare', meaning 'to repay in kind'
Summary: retaliate in Brief
The verb 'retaliate' [rɪˈtælieɪt] means to harm or do something harmful to someone in response to their harmful actions or words. It is often used in the context of revenge, exemplified by 'He retaliated by spreading rumors about her.' 'Retaliate' can also be used in phrases like 'retaliate against,' denoting a response to an action with a similar action, and 'retaliation policy,' referring to a policy of responding to an attack with a counterattack.
