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
All America's allies in the Gulf knew there was a serious risk Iran would retaliate by closing off the Strait of Hormuz.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 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
Zac’s friends rushed to help him, but Marcus didn’t even wait to see if Zac was going to retaliate before he stormed out of the cafeteria.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
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
Judge John Bates said the action against Jenner & Block likely violates constitutional protections because it retaliates against free speech and is discriminatory in nature, CNN reported.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2025
According to various analyses, Canada's GDP could take a hit of between 1.8% and 3.38% and 2.6% to 5.6% if 25% blanket tariffs are imposed on Canadian goods, depending on how, and whether, Canada retaliates.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2025
“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
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
I never retaliated the way I felt I could or said anything smart, like, “Does madam need help?”
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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
A recent poll by Canadian firm Abacus Data suggested that around 36% of Canadian would support retaliating to US tariffs, while another 30% would want the Carney government to continue negotiating.
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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
