1
as in reparation
usually reprisals plural
payment to another for a loss or injury
a peace agreement that was rejected because it contained no provisions for reprisals
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2
as in retaliation
the act or an instance of responding to an injury with an injury
after defeating them last year in the finals, our team nervously awaited the expected reprisal by our archrivals in this year's tournament
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Recent Examples of reprisal
The partial evacuation of the Iraq embassy, among other staff withdrawals, came as talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program appeared stalled, with American officials fearing reprisals if Israel follows through on its plans, CBS wrote.
—
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
Satellite images revealed damage to Iran's Tabriz missile base resulting from Israel's attacks as the Islamic Republic fires barrages at Israel in reprisal for attacks on its military establishment and nuclear program.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
One was not to get involved any further and risk reprisals; the other was that the family had a moral as well as a practical responsibility to make sure this group of kidnappers wouldn’t go on to commit future crimes.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
In fact, Mifune depicted Musashi in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy, so this post-mortem portrayal is a reprisal of sorts.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
Satellite images revealed damage to Iran's Tabriz missile base resulting from Israel's attacks as the Islamic Republic fires barrages at Israel in reprisal for attacks on its military establishment and nuclear program.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 June 2025
One was not to get involved any further and risk reprisals; the other was that the family had a moral as well as a practical responsibility to make sure this group of kidnappers wouldn’t go on to commit future crimes.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
In fact, Mifune depicted Musashi in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy, so this post-mortem portrayal is a reprisal of sorts.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for reprisal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reprisal
Noun
-
The legislation would create a commission to study reparations and develop proposals.—
Deborah Barfield Berry,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
-
Several states and cities have established reparations commissions to study and recommend ways to address the legacy of slavery and its continuing impact on Black communities.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Failure to see the humanity in a source means students might miss when a law is written to exact revenge, when a diary is embellishing an event, or when a preacher’s sermon has a joke in it.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
15 July 2025
-
India quickly blamed Pakistan and Indian politicians, television networks and civilians all clamored for revenge.—
Sam Dalrymple,
Time,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
President Trump is reshaping a student loan cancellation program into what some fear will become a tool for political retribution, taking aim at organizations that serve immigrants and transgender youth.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
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But the real question is what kind of concrete retribution Trump could try to exact on his erstwhile political ally and campaign donor.—
Alexei Oreskovic,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reprisal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reprisal. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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