retaliate

American  

[ri-tal-ee-eyt] / rɪˈtæl iˌeɪt /

verb (used without object)

• retaliates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• retaliated,
  past participle,  past
• retaliating
  present participle

1. to return like for like, especially evil for evil.

   to retaliate for an injury.

   Synonyms:

   reciprocate, repay, counter

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verb (used with object)

• retaliates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• retaliated,
  past participle,  past
• retaliating
  present participle

1. to requite or make return for (a wrong or injury) with the like.

retaliate British  

/ rɪˈtælɪˌeɪt /

verb

1. (intr) to take retributory action, esp by returning some injury or wrong in kind

2. (intr) to cast (accustations) back upon a person

3. rare (tr) to avenge (an injury, wrong, etc)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• retaliation
  noun
• retaliator
  noun
• retaliative
  adjective
• retaliatory
  adjective
• unretaliated
  adjective
• unretaliating
  adjective
• unretaliative
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• retaliating
  present
• retaliated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• retaliate
  simple
• retaliates
  simple
• have retaliated
  perfect
• has retaliated
  perfect
• am retaliating
  progressive
• are retaliating
  progressive
• is retaliating
  progressive
• have been retaliating
  perfect progressive
• has been retaliating
  perfect progressive

Past

• retaliated
  simple
• had retaliated
  perfect
• was retaliating
  progressive
• were retaliating
  progressive
• had been retaliating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will retaliate
  simple
• will have retaliated
  perfect
• will be retaliating
  progressive
• will have been retaliating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of retaliate

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin retāliātus (past participle of retāliāre ), equivalent to re- re- + tāli(s) “such, of such a nature” + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

To retaliate means to get back at someone, usually through a counterattack. “Ned got hit with a cream pie, then he retaliated by throwing a bucket of Jell-O at his attackers.” When you see the prefix re in a word, it usually means back. To return, remember, regurgitate (yuck) — all of these verbs relate to doing something back. At the beginning of retaliate it means back, and the taliate means to pay, so what you’re talking about here is payback. If you’re doing something terrible to someone just because you want to, that’s doesn’t mean to retaliate. But, if you feel they’ve done something bad to you, and you’re just getting them back? That’s when you retaliate.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

retaliate retaliates retaliated retaliating

The drawback is that Iran is likely to retaliate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

After the soldiers’ deaths, Trump threatened on social media to retaliate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

On Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it reserved the “legitimate and definite” right to retaliate against violations to its cease-fire agreement with the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal report.

From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026

He ordered the Russian military to prepare its "proposals" on how to retaliate.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

I retaliate by stealing one of her blankets, and she giggles.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

As Iran retaliates against its oil-rich Gulf Arab neighbours, the benchmark price for a barrel of crude soared beyond $100 for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026

If Europe retaliates with levies on U.S. goods, manufacturers who export across the Atlantic could be hit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 20, 2026

Analysts have told the BBC that energy traders will now be watching to see whether Iran retaliates in the coming days.

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2025

Yet at every turn, Deborah finds some excuse to backstab Ava, allegedly out of some version of respect, and Ava retaliates by sabotaging herself and her boss.

From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2025

“You don’t answer very many of them,” Bailey retaliates.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Grande’s stanbase quickly retaliated, saying that those commenting on her weight were bringing back body-shaming and tabloid-era hypercriticism.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026

The suit said Morales’ alleged actions were reported to then-interim Chancellor Jolene Koester, who “did absolutely nothing,” and that the university allegedly retaliated against the administrators for raising concerns about Morales and the former dean.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps said it retaliated by targeting U.S. military sites in Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

Fain retaliated against Boyer after Boyer declined to approve the bonus for the training center staff, the monitor said in the June 25 report.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Occasionally English planes retaliated and then the German fighters might intercept them right over Haarlem.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

This has drawn sharp pushback, although Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin told a press conference Tuesday that Brazil will seek to resolve the issue through negotiations instead of retaliating.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

On the elephant side, nearly half of those moved to Kasungu may have already been killed, mostly by farmers retaliating for crop damage, according to Warm Heart Initiative.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

And we would be right to laugh or clap back more often, retaliating against those towns that take themselves too seriously.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026

A federal judge just issued an injunction barring ICE agents from retaliating against protesters in Minnesota.

From Slate ● Jan. 20, 2026

Biting his tongue to prevent himself retaliating, he sat down in front of the boxes and pulled one toward him.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• reciprocate