Synonyms for retaliate
rɪˈtæl iˌeɪtre·tal·i·ate

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. retaliate

   Avenge and revenge, once close synonyms, are now far apart in meaning. To avenge is to visit some offense with punishment, in order to vindicate the righteous, or to uphold and illustrate the right by the suffering or destruction of the wicked. "And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian," Acts vii, 24. To revenge is to inflict harm or suffering upon another through personal anger and resentment at something done to ourselves. Avenge is unselfish; revenge is selfish. Revenge, according to present usage, could not be said of God. To retaliate may be necessary for self-defense, without the idea of revenge. Compare REVENGE.

   Synonyms:
   avenge, punish, revenge, vindicate, visit

   Preposition:
   Avenge on or upon (rarely, avenge oneself of) a wrong-doer.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. retaliate

   Synonyms:
   avenge, retort, repay, requite

   Antonyms:
   pardon, condone, forgive

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. revenge, avenge, retaliateverb

   take revenge for a perceived wrong

   "He wants to avenge the murder of his brother"

   Synonyms:
   strike back, revenge, avenge

2. retaliate, strike backverb

   make a counterattack and return like for like, especially evil for evil

   "The Empire strikes back"; "The Giants struck back and won the opener"; "The Israeli army retaliated for the Hamas bombing"

   Synonyms:
   avenge, strike back, revenge

Matched Categories

1. • Punish

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. retaliateverb

   Synonyms:
   return (by giving like for like, as an injury), repay, requite, revenge, take vengeance for

2. retaliateverb

   Synonyms:
   take revenge, return like for like, give one as good as one sends, give quid pro quo, give a rowland for an Oliver, give tit for tat

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. retaliateverb

   Synonyms:
   avenge, requite, repay

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "retaliate":

   revenge, reprisal

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How to use retaliate in a sentence?

1. Lizbeth Mateo:

   We knew that these exorbitant fines were illegal and nothing more than a tool to scare our clients and retaliate against them for fighting back and standing up to this administration.

2. Alyssa Farah:

   These allegations are an example of precisely what's wrong with Washington -- a junior-level disgruntled former detailee, with whom Ambassador O'Brien had almost no interaction, can launch baseless attacks for partisan purposes, yevgeny Vindman is no longer at National Security Council after Yevgeny Vindman detail was ended following poor performance, as revealed in the House Democrats' letter. Yevgeny Vindman now attempts to retaliate against Yevgeny Vindman former supervisors for providing an accurate assessment of Yevgeny Vindman performance.

3. Alexandra Harwin:

   It is completely illegal for employers to retaliate against employees who complain about workplace discrimination, but this is exactly what Robert De Niro did to Ms. Robinson, inventing claims to ruin her reputation and humiliate her because he knew she was going to expose his behavior.

4. Donald Trump:

   Rather than address our legitimate concerns, China has begun to retaliate against President Donald Trump products, there is no justification for such action.

5. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus:

   Their (YPG) primary goal is a threat to Turkey, and if Turkey sees a YPG movement in northern Syria that is a threat to it, it will retaliate in kind, this isn't a fantasy for us...it is an indispensable approach to protect Turkey's border security.