verb
retaliate
rih-TAL-ee-ayt
verb
1
To respond to harm done to you by causing harm in return.
"The country threatened to retaliate if the sanctions weren't lifted."
How to Use Retaliate
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo hit back after being wronged, rather than starting the conflict.
Common pairings
retaliate against
threaten to retaliate
Word Forms
retaliated past tense, retaliates singular
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The country threatened to _____ if the sanctions weren't lifted.
Etymology
From Latin retaliare, "to repay in kind," related to talio, the legal principle of "an eye for an eye."