as in avenging
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for
retaliated his neighbor's malicious destruction of his flower garden by cutting down the man's prize apple tree
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Recent Examples of retaliating
State officials claim federal government is retaliating after failed funding cutoff attempts; feds say surge targets criminal immigrants.
—
Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Fleming eventually left the agency and sued the city, accusing Lee of discriminating and retaliating against him for conducting investigations.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
The ruling prohibits officers from retaliating against anyone peacefully protesting or observing the actions of immigration officers, adding that federal agents must show probable cause or reasonable suspicion that someone has committed a crime or is interfering with law enforcement operations.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The early phase of a Traitors season can feel frustratingly random with the Faithful at an extreme information disadvantage and reduced to just pointing fingers at any unusual behavior and retaliating for previous votes.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
But while Nigerian officials were concerned about the tariff rollout’s effect on oil prices — a key driver of the country’s economic health since oil exports account for 90% of its foreign exchange earnings — the government was deliberate about not reacting or retaliating, Oduwole said.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order preventing the board and Cavin from taking any further action in their cases, as well as an injunction restraining Cavin and the board from discriminating against, or retaliating against, Mejia and Smith.
—Clark Kauffman, Des Moines Register, 14 Jan. 2026
In retaliating against the Union, TSG decided to disastrously impact its employees, its guests, local businesses, and our community.
—Austen Erblat, CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025
Following a heated confrontation where Paul slapped Punk across the face, the rivalry intensified with Punk retaliating by trapping Paul's ally, Pat McAfee, in a porta-potty.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Fleming eventually left the agency and sued the city, accusing Lee of discriminating and retaliating against him for conducting investigations.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 28 Jan. 2026
The ruling prohibits officers from retaliating against anyone peacefully protesting or observing the actions of immigration officers, adding that federal agents must show probable cause or reasonable suspicion that someone has committed a crime or is interfering with law enforcement operations.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The early phase of a Traitors season can feel frustratingly random with the Faithful at an extreme information disadvantage and reduced to just pointing fingers at any unusual behavior and retaliating for previous votes.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026
But while Nigerian officials were concerned about the tariff rollout’s effect on oil prices — a key driver of the country’s economic health since oil exports account for 90% of its foreign exchange earnings — the government was deliberate about not reacting or retaliating, Oduwole said.
—Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 16 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order preventing the board and Cavin from taking any further action in their cases, as well as an injunction restraining Cavin and the board from discriminating against, or retaliating against, Mejia and Smith.
—Clark Kauffman, Des Moines Register, 14 Jan. 2026
In retaliating against the Union, TSG decided to disastrously impact its employees, its guests, local businesses, and our community.
—Austen Erblat, CBS News, 27 Dec. 2025
Following a heated confrontation where Paul slapped Punk across the face, the rivalry intensified with Punk retaliating by trapping Paul's ally, Pat McAfee, in a porta-potty.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliating
avenging
Verb
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The Stars and Golden Knights played playoff series in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024 — with the Stars falling to the Golden Knights in the 2023 Western Conference finals before avenging that loss in a thrilling Game 7 win in the first round of 2024.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Klay Thompson scored 16 of his 23 points in the frame, avenging his scoreless performance in the play-in opener a year earlier with the Golden State Warriors, and Anthony Davis scored a game-high 27 points.—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retaliating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliating. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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