/ rɪˈtælieɪt; NAmE / verb
[ v ] retaliate (against sb/sth) | retaliate (by doing sth / with sth) to do sth harmful to sb because they have harmed you first
SYN take revenge :
to retaliate against an attack
The boy hit his sister, who retaliated by kicking him.
► re·tali·atory / rɪˈtæliətri; NAmE -tɔːri/ adjective :
retaliatory action
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from Latin retaliat- returned in kind, from the verb retaliare , from re- back + talis such.