tit for tat

noun phrase

ˌtit-fər-ˈtat How to pronounce tit for tat (audio)
: an equivalent given in return (as for an injury) : retaliation in kind
tit-for-tat adjective

Examples of tit for tat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Weddings are not tit for tat, everyone is different. — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025 Texas kick-started the tit for tat with new lines giving Republicans an edge last year, prompting other red states to follow suit. — Julia Mueller, The Hill, 29 Apr. 2026 No other government has gone tit for tat with Washington on tariffs and export restrictions and emerged mostly unscathed. — Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025 Reciprocity within capitalism and white supremacy is tit for tat. — Lorinda Toledo, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tit for tat

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier tip for tap, from tip (blow) + for + tap

First Known Use

1546, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tit for tat was in 1546

Rhymes for tit for tat

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Browse Nearby Words

titfish
tit for tat
tithable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tit for tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tit%20for%20tat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tit for tat

Nglish: Translation of tit for tat for Spanish Speakers

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