retaliatory strike
Punitive military response
A retaliatory strike is a military attack launched in response to an enemy's aggression—hitting back after being hit.
The phrase appears in discussions of nuclear strategy, where the threat of massive retaliation is meant to deter first strikes: The country maintains submarine-launched missiles to guarantee a retaliatory strike capability.
The concept extends beyond warfare to any punishing countermove: The tariffs were a retaliatory strike against unfair trade practices.
- counterattackOffensive response to aggression
- revengePunishing a wrongdoer
- vengeanceRetaliation for injury
- eye for an eyePunishment matching the offense
- paybackRetaliation for wrongs
reprisal · missile · airstrike · escalation · act of war · military action · nuclear · nuclear option · preemptive · deterrent · bombing · warfare · offensive · military · show of force · target · enemy · conflict
- nuclear waratomic bomb, nuclear holocaust, nuclear arsenal, hydrogen bomb, ICBM
- airstrikesairstrike, air raid, bombing run, bombing raid, bombing
- military interventioninvasion, military intervention, coalition forces, allied forces, ground forces
- strikeswalkout, work stoppage, picket line, picket, picketing
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, war, armed conflict
retaliatory strikefirst strike
Initiating combat unprovoked
preemptive strike · unprovoked attack · surprise attack · sneak attack · Pearl Harbor attack
retaliatory strikede-escalation
Reducing conflict intensity
ceasefire · negotiated settlement · olive branch · restraint · containment
retaliatory strikeforgiveness
Releasing resentment toward offenders
pardon · amnesty · mercy · reconciliation · clemency
retaliate, retaliation, retaliatory, retaliating, retaliator, strike, strikes, struck, striking