How to Use retaliate in a Sentence

retaliate

verb
  • After the company announced plans to reduce benefits, the union threatened to retaliate by calling for a strike.
  • Iran has vowed to retaliate for the ship's seizure.
    — Will Clark, NBC news, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Or retaliate and get caught and spend the rest of the game in the locker room.
    — Rod Walker, NOLA.com, 13 Jan. 2021
  • One or both of them might deny this, or attempt to retaliate.
    — Amy Dickinson, chicagotribune.com, 11 Dec. 2019
  • It simply cannot be used to threaten, or harm, or retaliate.
    — Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
  • But with Owens’ help, both men chose not to retaliate and to rebuild their lives in peace.
    — al, 27 July 2022
  • Tehran vowed to retaliate for the attacks.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 27 May 2026
  • Raq’s crews continue to retaliate against each other, and all bets are off this time!
    — Kyesha Jennings, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2021
  • Joyce said that Richter had kneed him during a kickoff, which led him to retaliate.
    — Baltimore Sun Staff, baltimoresun.com, 15 Nov. 2019
  • Cambodia said that the Thai side fired first and that its own troops did not retaliate.
    — CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025
  • When that happens, my mother and I feel the need to retaliate.
    — Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2021
  • The elephants raid the fields — and the farmers retaliate.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 16 May 2026
  • Some of them were retaliated against.
    — Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
  • The regime is quicker to take offence, and retaliates more harshly.
    — The Economist, 20 Feb. 2020
  • Yet, so far, none of these countries have retaliated against Tehran.
    — Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
  • China retaliated with tit-for-tat tariff hikes and cut the supply of rare earths.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2026
  • What is the risk that Russia will retaliate against the West, and if so to what degree?
    — Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2022
  • The person on the receiving end may retaliate by blocking your right back.
    — Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 9 Aug. 2021
  • And then Iran is still able to retaliate against the Gulf states and against our civilian targets.
    — NBC news, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The feuding gang would then retaliate and then make a video as well, the ADA said.
    — Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 25 Feb. 2026
  • Quickly, her neighbors were ready to retaliate on her behalf.
    — Mike Sullivan, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Trade wars do the greatest damage to a country that is targeted and does not retaliate.
    — Tom Campbell, Orange County Register, 26 Oct. 2024
  • Iran and its proxies retaliated with strikes against countries across the region.
    — James Legge, CNN Money, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Israel blamed Hezbollah for the attack and vowed to retaliate.
    — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 28 July 2024
  • And Iran is retaliating against energy sites in the gulf.
    — ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Hezbollah has pledged to retaliate for the killing of its commander in Syria.
    — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2020
  • The first time, Nash hit him with a champagne bottle and O'Bannon did not retaliate.
    — Ayana Archie, The Courier-Journal, 17 May 2021
  • Iran is threatening to retaliate and has said no Gulf ports will be safe if the blockade continues.
    — Brian Dakss, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2026
  • In some of the videos, staffers retaliate by launching ad hominem attacks at Gude or the other protesters.
    — Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2024
  • The star quarterback retaliated and shoved the fan.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retaliate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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