Meaning & use

retaliated

verb·Academic

Last updated

Attacked or acted against someone in return for a perceived injury or wrong.

See it in a sentence

The company retaliated against the whistleblower by cutting her hours.

He retaliated with a sharp comment of his own after being insulted.

A note on using this word

Frequently used in workplace and legal contexts to describe punishing someone for a complaint, which is often illegal.

Words with a similar meaning

avengedstruck back

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

forgavereconciled

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