retaliation
/rɪˌtalɪˈeɪʃn
/noun [mass noun]
1The action of returning a military attack; counter-attack: the bombings are believed to be in retaliation for the trial of 15 suspects...
- Hakimullah Mehsud, an aide of Pakistan's Taliban chief, Baitullah Mehsud, said the attack was retaliation for the operations in Swat.
- The civilian minority ' empowered ' by you will require heavy US military protection to withstand retaliation.
- The insurgent terrorists have launched a day of mayhem across parts of Iraq in retaliation for the assault on Fallujah.
Synonyms
revenge, vengeance, reprisal, retribution, requital, recrimination, an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth), getting even, redress, repayment, payback;
response, reaction, reply, reciprocation, counterattack, counterstroke, comeback, tit for tat, measure for measure, blow for blow;
Latin lex talionis
rare ultion, a Roland for an Oliver
1.1The action of harming someone because they have harmed oneself; revenge: she rejected as preposterous any suggestion that she had acted in retaliation...
- They don't want to speak out for fear of losing their business through governmental retaliation.
- The Americans have not executed prisoners in retaliation for assassinations.
- Hitters dig in, knowing they need not worry about retaliation.
- unprostituted
- unprotectable
- unprotected
- unprotectedly
- unprotestant
- unprotestantize
- unprotestantizing
- unprotestant-like
- unprotested
- unprotesting
- unprotestingly
- unprotruded
- unprotrusive
- unproud
- unprovability
- unprovable
- unprovableness
- unproved
- unproven
- unprovided
- unprovided for
- unprovidential
- unprovisioned
- unprovocative
- Franconia