Meaning & use
retaliated
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
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “retaliated”, then compare your use with the examples above.