tit for tat
noun phrase
: 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
The tit for tat marked the latest in a global trade war that intensified a day earlier, when China slapped retaliatory tariffs on the U.S., deepening trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
Also, practically any time tariffs are imposed, regardless of the types of goods in question, this results in a tit for tat exchange of tariff penalties which ultimately affect the end-user.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The canceled press conference comes amid a tit for tat between Trump and Zelensky.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2025
For Canada and Mexico, the tariff tit for tat could push both of those economies into a recession.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2025
By lowering the threshold for direct strikes, the tit for tat has boosted the odds that the two most powerful states in the Middle East will fight a full-scale war—one that could draw in the United States and have a devastating effect on the region and the global economy.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
The two went tit for tat, opening each other up and causing a lot of bleeding in the ring.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 6 Oct. 2024
Still, as the tit for tat between Iran and Israel showed, war is almost never inevitable.
—Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
Amid tit for tat calls for accountability during heated exchanges between Thornton Township trustees and Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, officials approved audits of all township departments along with a former official’s credit card during a board meeting Tuesday evening.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2024
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Max Zahn, ABC News, 11 Mar. 2025
Also, practically any time tariffs are imposed, regardless of the types of goods in question, this results in a tit for tat exchange of tariff penalties which ultimately affect the end-user.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The canceled press conference comes amid a tit for tat between Trump and Zelensky.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 20 Feb. 2025
For Canada and Mexico, the tariff tit for tat could push both of those economies into a recession.
—Jill Schlesinger, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2025
By lowering the threshold for direct strikes, the tit for tat has boosted the odds that the two most powerful states in the Middle East will fight a full-scale war—one that could draw in the United States and have a devastating effect on the region and the global economy.
—Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 10 Dec. 2024
The two went tit for tat, opening each other up and causing a lot of bleeding in the ring.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 6 Oct. 2024
Still, as the tit for tat between Iran and Israel showed, war is almost never inevitable.
—Erik Lin-Greenberg, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
Amid tit for tat calls for accountability during heated exchanges between Thornton Township trustees and Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, officials approved audits of all township departments along with a former official’s credit card during a board meeting Tuesday evening.
—Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 25 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Tit for tat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tit%20for%20tat. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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