as in reparation
payment to another for a loss or injury
a peace agreement that was rejected because it contained no provisions for reprisals
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Recent Examples of reprisals
Mahamat said the cycle of reprisals had spread over a fairly large area, prompting an intervention by the army.
—
ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The residence of Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was heavily damaged by an explosion during the attack, a nearby shopkeeper told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
—Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Maykol, a 25-year-old Havana resident who asked me to use just his first name to avoid regime reprisals, told me that lengthy power outages, already frequent before January, now occur daily.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Those two films are commonly described as meditations on the futility of violence in a world where justice takes the form of endless attacks and reprisals.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Blackwell and Bennett said some of their teammates are still involved in the sport and do not want to face any reprisals.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
Her return to Venezuela would be combustible—Rodríguez has already threatened reprisals—but potentially transformative.
—Boris Muñoz, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the movie’s villains — played by recognizable faces, among them Heather Graham and Tom Felton — get pretty much zero by way of personality, or even superficial nastiness, making Asia’s reprisals a whole lot less entertaining.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Barzani’s movement collapsed within weeks, and Iraqi forces launched reprisals that displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
The residence of Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was heavily damaged by an explosion during the attack, a nearby shopkeeper told the AP, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
—Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026
Maykol, a 25-year-old Havana resident who asked me to use just his first name to avoid regime reprisals, told me that lengthy power outages, already frequent before January, now occur daily.
—Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
Those two films are commonly described as meditations on the futility of violence in a world where justice takes the form of endless attacks and reprisals.
—Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Blackwell and Bennett said some of their teammates are still involved in the sport and do not want to face any reprisals.
—Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
Her return to Venezuela would be combustible—Rodríguez has already threatened reprisals—but potentially transformative.
—Boris Muñoz, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Meanwhile, the movie’s villains — played by recognizable faces, among them Heather Graham and Tom Felton — get pretty much zero by way of personality, or even superficial nastiness, making Asia’s reprisals a whole lot less entertaining.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026
Barzani’s movement collapsed within weeks, and Iraqi forces launched reprisals that displaced hundreds of thousands of Kurdish civilians.
—John Calabrese, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprisals
Noun
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Venezuela is demanding information and reparations under international environmental law from its Caribbean neighbor, one of the region’s largest oil and gas producers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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The victims are asking the court to order comprehensive reparations, medical and psychological treatment, guarantees against future abuses and the permanent closure of El Helicoide.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
11 May 2026
Noun
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The provision allows for damages of up to $500 per violation, or $1,500 per violation if a court finds that a company acted willfully or knowingly.—
Itzel Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
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Western utilities requested higher rates than other areas primarily because of damages and risk stemming from wildfires, Hua said.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reprisals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprisals. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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