Associations to the word «Retaliate»

Wiktionary

RETALIATE, verb. (intransitive) To do something harmful or negative to get revenge for some harm; to fight back or respond in kind to an injury or affront.
RETALIATE, verb. (transitive) To repay or requite by an act of the same kind.

Dictionary definition

RETALIATE, verb. Take revenge for a perceived wrong; "He wants to avenge the murder of his brother".
RETALIATE, verb. Make a counterattack and return like for like, especially evil for evil; "The Empire strikes back"; "The Giants struck back and won the opener"; "The Israeli army retaliated for the Hamas bombing".

Wise words

Words are always getting conventionalized to some secondary meaning. It is one of the works of poetry to take the truants in custody and bring them back to their right senses.
William Butler Yeats