retaliate
v.v. to do something bad to someone because they did something bad to you first. It is like getting even or hitting back after being attacked.
v. to return an attack or injury in kind; to respond to an initial harmful action with a similar counter-action. Often implies a cycle of escalation or a formal response to a perceived provocation.
The army decided to retaliate after the border attack.
If the company lowers its prices again, the competitors will likely retaliate by launching a massive advertising campaign.
Diplomatic experts warned that if the government imposed new trade sanctions, the neighboring country would almost certainly retaliate by closing its primary shipping ports to international vessels.
From Latin retāliātus, past participle of retāliō (“to requite, retaliate”).
The verb is intransitive and typically takes the preposition 'against' (to retaliate against someone) or 'by' (to retaliate by doing something).
He retaliated him for the insultHe retaliated against him for the insultRetaliate is intransitive; it cannot take a direct person-object and requires the preposition 'against'.