retaliationre‧tal‧i‧a‧tion /rɪˌtæliˈeɪʃən/ noun [uncountable] 
This action was undoubtedly in retaliation for last week’s bomb attack.retaliation against the threat of massive retaliation against British troops
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- military retaliation
- Alarmed by the case, foreign governments are talking of retaliation.
- City officials denied any retaliation but said they approved the settlement because they feared higher costs from a protracted legal battle.
- In retaliation, the emperor gathered fifty pagan scholars, then challenged her to a religious debate.
- Over the following weeks, Portadown loyalists harassed the police in retaliation for what they claimed was police persecution.
- Some people were beginning to talk about retaliation or revenge against the authorities responsible.
- There was a psychological as well as a military problem involved in massive retaliation.
Longman Language Activatorto punish someone because they have harmed or offended you
to do something to punish someone who has harmed you, your family, or your friends: take/get revenge on: · Gayle took revenge on her husband by cutting up all his best clothes.take/get revenge for: · He was determined to get revenge for the murder of his sister.take/get your revenge: · During the riot inmates took their revenge on prison guards.
if you do something in retaliation for something that someone has done to you, you do it to make them suffer even more than you did: · Ross said he feared that he might be fired in retaliation.in retaliation for: · The President ordered the bombings in retaliation for the attack.
if you do something in revenge for something that someone has done to you, you do it to get revenge: · When she learned of her husband's affairs, she turned to another man in revenge.in revenge for: · They murdered Gillespi in revenge for the death of their brother.
also get your own back (on) British informal to do something which causes problems for someone, because they have done something that causes problems for you: · Dad won't let me go to the concert, but I'll get back at him.· Even if it took me ten years, I was determined to get my own back.· He kept looking for a chance to get his own back on Freddie.get back at for: · He wanted to get back at his supervisor for criticizing him in front of the other workers.
if you do something unpleasant or unkind to someone in order to get or pay them back , you do it in order to punish them because they have done something unkind or unpleasant to you: · So then I told everyone one of her secrets to pay her back.get/pay sb back for: · Someday I'll get you back for this!· John's being difficult about the divorce just to pay me back for leaving him.
informal if you get even with someone, you get revenge by doing something equally bad to them, in order to make yourself feel satisfied: · He decided to get even by letting the air out of her tires.get even with: · What can I do to get even with him?· Hamilton's supporters later tried to get even with Jefferson by calling him an adulterer.
if you avenge an action that someone has done to you, you do something unpleasant or unkind in order to get revenge - used especially in literature: · It was an insult which only Cassio's death could avenge.· The soldiers wanted to avenge their humiliating defeat the previous year.
spoken say this when someone has done something unpleasant to you and you are saying that you will get revenge: · I'll get you for this, you little brat.· Did you hear what he just said to me? I'll get him for this!
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY the threat of massive retaliation against British troopsCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
action against someone who has done something bad to youin retaliation (for something) the threat of massive retaliation against British troops· The alternative is massive retaliation by missiles aimed at the enemy's cities, which will stay put.· Dulles used massive retaliation as the chief instrument of containment.· There was a psychological as well as a military problem involved in massive retaliation.· In its first test massive retaliation had won a victory.· The strategy would later be called massive retaliation.· Dulles called the policy massive retaliation.
This action was undoubtedly in retaliation for last week’s bomb attack.retaliation against the threat of massive retaliation against British troops