What is another word for retaliate?

Pronunciation: [ɹɪtˈalɪˌe͡ɪt] (IPA)

Retaliate is a powerful word that directly translates to taking revenge or striking back in response to an insult or an attack. However, there are several other words that can be used as synonyms for the word retaliate such as reciprocate, counterattack, avenge, retribute, and revenge. Reciprocate refers to returning an action in kind or repaying a favor. Counterattack means to launch a counteroffensive in response to an attack. Avenge is to seek justice by punishing the culprit or offender. Retribute is associated with returning payment or doing something in return. Revenge means to inflict harm or pain on somebody as a retribution for a wrong committed against the avenger.

Synonyms for Retaliate:

What are the paraphrases for Retaliate?

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What are the hypernyms for Retaliate?

A hypernym is a word with a broad meaning that encompasses more specific words called hyponyms.

What are the opposite words for retaliate?

Retaliate means to take revenge or to seek retribution against someone who has wronged you. The antonyms for retaliate are forgive, pardon, absolve, and excuse. Forgiveness is the act of pardoning someone who has done wrong to you, it is usually done to show mercy and compassion. Pardon means to grant freedom from punishment or guilt. Absolve means to release from the consequences of wrongdoing. Excuse means to overlook or provide a reason for someone's wrongdoing. All these words denote a lack of desire for revenge or retribution, instead they imply mercy and compassion towards the offender.

What are the antonyms for Retaliate?

Usage examples for Retaliate

If the Turks were guilty of the most barbaric atrocities, and we very well know that they were, the Knights of St. John were not slow to retaliate in kind.
"The Story of Malta"
Maturin M. Ballou
Mrs. Temple being present, she could not retaliate on Dr. Wortley.
"Throckmorton"
Molly Elliot Seawell
As a child it would cut me to the quick; but as I got older and made my visits at Cousin George's, I would retaliate by making game of my older cousin; and no one can abide being made fun of.
"Molly Brown's Orchard Home"
Nell Speed

Famous quotes with Retaliate

  • My people have been sucked into the violence because some feel they have to retaliate, and some feel they have to protect themselves.
    Mangosuthu Buthelezi
  • Our capacity to retaliate must be, and is, massive in order to deter all forms of aggression.
    John Foster Dulles
  • Protectionism will do little to create jobs and if foreigners retaliate, we will surely lose jobs.
    Alan Greenspan
  • Men ought either to be indulged or utterly destroyed, for if you merely offend them they take vengeance, but if you injure them greatly they are unable to retaliate, so that the injury done to a man ought to be such that vengeance cannot be feared.
    Niccolo Machiavelli
  • There are nuclear weapons in China, Iran, Korea and Pakistan. It wouldn't take much to send a couple of warheads off on this planet somewhere that would cause a lot of environmental damage, then if you have got someone who wants to retaliate you have real problems.
    Edward James Olmos

Related words: retaliate against, retaliation, to retaliate, retaliate against terror, should countries retaliate

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