as in revengeful
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Recent Examples of retaliatory
The benchmark for European gas also surged by about 12% after Iran on Wednesday and Thursday mounted retaliatory strikes targeting energy sites in several Gulf countries.
—
Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Expelling Iranian diplomatic personnel marks one of Doha’s strongest retaliatory steps to date and signals a possible shift away from its traditionally cautious approach toward Iran.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2026
And dozens more have died in Iran’s retaliatory strikes against the Gulf states and Israel.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Iran has targeted energy and transport infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates as part of its retaliatory strikes, boosting concerns of a prolonged global energy crisis.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The measure marks a retaliatory response from Republican lawmakers, who placed the amendment on the ballot after the 2024 vote that legalized access.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Iranian officials say more than 1,300 people have been killed, while Iran's retaliatory fire has killed at least 27 people in Gulf states.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Iran has said any attack on its oil and energy infrastructure will lead to retaliatory strikes on facilities in the region owned by US-friendly oil companies, Iranian state media reported, citing Tehran’s military command headquarters.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent over the course of two weeks of fighting.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2026
Kevin Shalvey, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Expelling Iranian diplomatic personnel marks one of Doha’s strongest retaliatory steps to date and signals a possible shift away from its traditionally cautious approach toward Iran.
—Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 18 Mar. 2026
And dozens more have died in Iran’s retaliatory strikes against the Gulf states and Israel.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 18 Mar. 2026
Iran has targeted energy and transport infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates as part of its retaliatory strikes, boosting concerns of a prolonged global energy crisis.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
The measure marks a retaliatory response from Republican lawmakers, who placed the amendment on the ballot after the 2024 vote that legalized access.
—Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Iranian officials say more than 1,300 people have been killed, while Iran's retaliatory fire has killed at least 27 people in Gulf states.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
Iran has said any attack on its oil and energy infrastructure will lead to retaliatory strikes on facilities in the region owned by US-friendly oil companies, Iranian state media reported, citing Tehran’s military command headquarters.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 14 Mar. 2026
White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent over the course of two weeks of fighting.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for retaliatory
Adjective
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DeMar DeRozan had 32, Russell Westbrook had a revengeful 22 and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
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Brian Heil played Don Jose with angst and ultimately, revengeful rage as Carmen’s spurned lover.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The images captured by bystanders and immigration agents were reminiscent of the lynching postcards that white spectators once bought and traded — reproductions of retributive violence, tailor-made to titillate and intimidate.—
Tressie McMillan Cottom,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
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For millennia, punishment was considered morally defensible purely on retributive grounds.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The answer is not to abandon reform or return to the purely punitive policies of past decades.—
Keith Wortz,
Hartford Courant,
13 Mar. 2026
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There’s more work to do on SSI’s punitive asset cap.—
Michael Frerichs,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Colorado Department of Corrections The incident prompted an administrative review of the disciplinary case.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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The College Republicans case is the second lawsuit the university has faced in roughly the past year over disciplinary actions tied to allegations of antisemitic conduct by students.—
Garrett Shanley,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Centuries of penal laws had left Catholics as impoverished tenant farmers, while Protestants – wealthier and less reliant on the crop – had greater resources to survive.—
Paula Kane,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2026
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But those who do get caught end up experiencing the Gulf’s penal system for at least a while, which is something most tourists and residents would prefer to avoid.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Retaliatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retaliatory. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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