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as in response
something spoken or written in reaction especially to a question
the salesclerk responded to my query about the price with a brusque retort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to respond
to speak or write in reaction to a question or to another reaction
when told she couldn't have it, she retorted, "Fine, I didn't want it anyway!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of retort
Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025
Smaller groups of five, 40 or a little under a hundred people gather routinely with posters, chants and, sometimes, retorts for passing motorists who support the president.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 21 Sep. 2025
Lana Lin
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Smaller groups of five, 40 or a little under a hundred people gather routinely with posters, chants and, sometimes, retorts for passing motorists who support the president.
—Darcie Moran, Freep.com, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for retort
Noun
Resist the urge to criticize someone or make a fast retort that will spark arguments.
—Verb
Lan Thao has staunchly retorted that the H. of their full name stands for History.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for retort
Noun
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Larkin tried to come up with a witty riposte but came up empty.—
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Choice comments from Mary Earps about head coach Sarina Wiegman and goalkeeping rival Hannah Hampton provoked a cutting riposte from Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor.—
Noun
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The mayor added that the vehicles caused a delay in response time.—
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Again, this was in response to a question about Bowe’s mentoring skills.—
Verb
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The Kings came back to cut the deficit to four on a baseline jumper by LaVine, but the Timberwolves responded with an 11-0 run to take a 60-45 lead.—
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Boise police and fire departments responded to the scene of the crash near the intersection of North Orchard Street, West Victory Road and West Wright Street, according to a Boise Police Department social media post.—
Noun
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In what could be a scene straight out of the official Netflix movie, a comment intended as an insult instead galvanized the troops.—
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The article does not even state the names of all the candidates in the race, an insult to those who polled higher than Leon.—
Noun
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Limited backup power could knock out internet access, leaving millions to wait for instant answers.—
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The answer lies in grassroots activism.—
Verb
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Ricardo Villalobos, the attorney representing owner Eric Goldie in the eviction case, did not reply to The Times’ request for comment about Rourke’s allegations.—
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A number of other users replied to the comment in agreement.—
Noun
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Brooks’s years honing his craft writing prickly characters and witty repartee ensures that not all of this scans as mindless escapism.—
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The repartee arrived ahead of the reunion’s kiss-off date in Brazil this weekend.—
Noun
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These stars had the perfect comeback for body-shaming internet trolls.—
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The latter is making the case for the turtleneck comeback—an enduring but equally difficult to pull off winter staple.—
Cite this Entry
“Retort.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/retort. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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