REJOINDER Synonyms: 40 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'rejoinder' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rejoinder are answer , reply , response , and retort . While all these words mean "something spoken, written, or done in return," rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection. // a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument

Q: Where would 'answer' be a reasonable alternative to 'rejoinder'?

While in some cases nearly identical to rejoinder , answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need. // had answers to all their questions

Q: When is 'reply' a more appropriate choice than 'rejoinder'?

The meanings of reply and rejoinder largely overlap; however, reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised. // a point-by-point reply to the accusation

Q: When could 'response' be used to replace 'rejoinder'?

The words response and rejoinder can be used in similar contexts, but response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus. // a response to the call for recruits

Q: When can 'retort' be used instead of 'rejoinder'?

The synonyms retort and rejoinder are sometimes interchangeable, but retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack. // she made a cutting retort to her critics

rejoinder

noun

ri-ˈjȯin-dər

Definition of rejoinder

as in response

something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question he always has a smart-aleck rejoinder to everything

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How does the noun rejoinder differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rejoinder are answer, reply, response, and retort. While all these words mean "something spoken, written, or done in return," rejoinder can be a response to a reply or to an objection.

a salesman with a quick rejoinder to every argument

Where would answer be a reasonable alternative to rejoinder?

While in some cases nearly identical to rejoinder, answer implies the satisfying of a question, demand, call, or need.

had answers to all their questions

When is reply a more appropriate choice than rejoinder?

The meanings of reply and rejoinder largely overlap; however, reply often suggests a thorough response to all issues, points, or questions raised.

a point-by-point reply to the accusation

When could response be used to replace rejoinder?

The words response and rejoinder can be used in similar contexts, but response may imply a quick or spontaneous reaction to a person or thing that serves as a stimulus.

a response to the call for recruits

When can retort be used instead of rejoinder?

The synonyms retort and rejoinder are sometimes interchangeable, but retort implies a reaction to an implicit or explicit charge, criticism, or attack which contains a countercharge or counterattack.

she made a cutting retort to her critics

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of rejoinder That his language was English and not American was the cause of ample anxiety for a linguistic nationalist like Webster, no less than my own as evidenced in my rejoinders to a bartender at the Boot Pub more than two centuries later. — Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 The only rejoinder to that is Sinner has had a strangely fraught time of it at the Slams — relatively speaking — since winning Wimbledon a year ago. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 27 June 2026 Zhipu appeared to frame the release as a direct rejoinder to Washington's intervention. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 15 June 2026 The rebellion reached its height in the early 2000s, a bloody rejoinder to the booming economy fueled by the rise of outsourcing in IT and software, and optimism about India’s future. — Dhruv Tikekar, CNN Money, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for rejoinder

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rejoinder

Noun

My response was to remind them that their generosity could have big financial consequences.

— Liz Weston, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
The hospital system didn’t say that it was being dropped over a specific policy, and an insurance trade group pointed to the high cost of specialty care for children in a response to the hospital’s statements.

— Jack Harvel October 25, Kansas City Star, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of response

Noun

District Compliance Officer Emily Sloan advised Legault to offer a short, polite reply thanking the parent for their perspective.

— Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Users might divulge a personal problem or two, and ELIZA would respond, often simply rephrasing the patient’s replies as probing questions.

— Sam Kestenbaum, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of reply

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rejoin

rejoinder

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“Rejoinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rejoinder. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of rejoinder

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