retaliateverb [ I ]
uk/rɪˈtæl.i.eɪt/us/rɪˈtæl.i.eɪt/to hurt someone or do something harmful to someone because they have done or said something harmful to you:
If someone insults you, don't retaliate as it only makes the situation worse.
The demonstrators threw rocks at the police, who retaliated by firing blanks into the crowd.
The terrorists retaliated against the government with a bomb attack.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Revenge and vengefulness
- an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth) idiom
- avenge
- bite
- bite back (at sb/sth)
- don't get mad, get even idiom
- even
- hit
- mind
- own
- pay
- pay sb back
- payback
- reprisal
- retaliatory
- revenge
- revenge is sweet idiom
- two can play at that game idiom
- vengeance
- vengeful
- vindictive
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retaliation
noun [ U ] uk/rɪˌtæl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/us/rɪˌtæl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/
The bomb attack was in retaliation for the recent arrest of two well-known terrorists.