retaliate
Americanverb (used without object)
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retaliates,
present (3rd person singular)
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retaliated,
past participle, past
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retaliating
present participle
verb (used with object)
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retaliates,
present (3rd person singular)
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retaliated,
past participle, past
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retaliating
present participle
verb
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(intr) to take retributory action, esp by returning some injury or wrong in kind
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(intr) to cast (accustations) back upon a person
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rare (tr) to avenge (an injury, wrong, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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retaliationnoun
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retaliatornoun
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retaliativeadjective
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retaliatoryadjective
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unretaliatedadjective
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unretaliatingadjective
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unretaliativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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retaliatesimple
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retaliatessimple
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have retaliatedperfect
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has retaliatedperfect
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am retaliatingprogressive
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are retaliatingprogressive
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is retaliatingprogressive
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have been retaliatingperfect progressive
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has been retaliatingperfect progressive
Past
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retaliatedsimple
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had retaliatedperfect
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was retaliatingprogressive
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were retaliatingprogressive
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had been retaliatingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing retaliate
The Alchemist
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Grade 9, List 6
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Power Prefix: re-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
North Korea is known to retaliate against defectors and their families.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Mr. Carney says Canada will retaliate with its own tariffs, to take effect Sept. 8.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
"The empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics," Judge Rita Lin said in a 59-page decision seen by AFP.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
US district judge Rita Lin said in the ruling that citing national security "is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics".
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
Thomas assumed Gaily would retaliate, but he straightened instead, taking everyone in with his mad gaze.
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
Plus, Canada retaliates with new duties, ranging from 15% to 50% on about $20 billion of goods.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
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
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
Starbucks has long denied it retaliates against workers organizing.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 6, 2023
“You don’t answer very many of them,” Bailey retaliates.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
The pre-dawn strike came on the anniversary according to the Jewish calendar of the October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest-ever day for Israel which retaliated with a devastating offensive in Gaza.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
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
Oil prices continued to rise after the U.S. retaliated against surprise Iranian attacks earlier this week, further knocking hopes of a near-term reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
As a result of that policy, the lawsuit alleges, the department has recorded and retaliated against three women, located in Minnesota, South Carolina and California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
For this reason, when visitors tried to make advances to John he was sullen, and they, feeling that for some reason he disliked them, retaliated by deciding that he was a “funny” child.
From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin
Mr. Barofsky accused Mr. Fain of scapegoating and retaliating against the secretary-treasurer for the apparent financial lapses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The prime minister said Canada was retaliating "reluctantly" to protect its interests.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
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
Immigration attorneys and advocates are accusing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials of retaliating against detainees taking part in hunger strikes over inhumane conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
“You’ve been mad all this time because I picked my best friend? And you thought retaliating by calling us horrible and hurtful names would fix things?”
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
