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in reprisal for sth
in reprisal for 是固定短语，表示“为了报复……”，for 后接名词或名词短语。
The attack was carried out in reprisal for the embassy bombing.
这次袭击是为了报复大使馆爆炸事件而实施的。
报复；报仇
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
报复；报仇
a retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime
The attack was carried out in reprisal for the embassy bombing.
这次袭击是为了报复大使馆爆炸事件而实施的。
报复行为；反击行为。
An act of retaliation.
After the ambush, the general ordered a reprisal against the enemy troops.
伏击发生后，将军下令对敌军进行报复。
The villagers feared reprisals if they helped the resistance fighters.
村民们担心，如果帮助抵抗战士，会遭到报复。
Attacking the civilian port would be a severe reprisal for the sinking of the naval ship.
袭击民用港口将是对击沉军舰的严厉报复。
in reprisal for 是固定短语，表示“为了报复……”，for 后接名词或名词短语。
The attack was carried out in reprisal for the embassy bombing.
这次袭击是为了报复大使馆爆炸事件而实施的。
take reprisals against 表示“对……采取报复行动”，reprisals 常用复数形式。
The government took reprisals against the rebels.
政府对叛乱者采取了报复行动。
face reprisals 意为“面临报复”，多用于担心受到惩罚的语境。
Workers who complained faced reprisals from management.
投诉的工人面临管理层的报复。
Not this
The government reprisaled against the terrorist attack.
Use this
The government launched reprisals against the terrorist attack.
reprisal 是名词，不是动词。汉语的“报复”可作动词，但英语中表示“进行报复”需用 take/launch/carry out reprisals 或动词 retaliate；不能说 reprisal 用作谓语。
Not this
They bombed the port in reprisal of the enemy's attack.
Use this
They bombed the port in reprisal for the enemy's attack.
表示“因……而报复”时，短语是 in reprisal for，介词用 for 引出报复的原因，不能用 of。
Not this
He took reprisal against his opponent.
Use this
He took reprisals against his opponent.
reprisal 是可数名词，指具体的报复行为时通常用复数 reprisals（或 a reprisal）；“采取报复行动”习惯说 take reprisals，而不是不带冠词的 take reprisal。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
作为对…的报复
The attack was carried out in reprisal for the bombing.
这次袭击是为了报复那场爆炸。
害怕报复
Many witnesses did not testify for fear of reprisal.
许多证人因为害怕报复而没有作证。
对…采取报复行动
The government threatened to take reprisals against the rebels.
政府威胁要对叛乱分子采取报复行动。
军事报复
The army launched military reprisals against the village.
军队对村庄发动了军事报复。
遭受报复
Anyone who spoke out risked suffering reprisals.
任何直言不讳的人都可能遭受报复。
报复性袭击
The border town was hit by a reprisal attack.
边境城镇遭到了一次报复性袭击。
作为对……的报复
The rebels attacked the village in reprisal for the government's bombing.
叛乱分子袭击了村庄，作为对政府轰炸的报复。
对……进行报复
The regime took reprisals against the demonstrators.
该政权对示威者进行了报复。
害怕报复
Witnesses were reluctant to testify for fear of reprisal.
目击者因害怕报复而不愿作证。
Use reprisal naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
联想：战时敌人抢占(prise)我物，我必回(re)敬一击——reprisal就是报复。
语域：formal 常见场景：military conflict、international relations、formal writing reprisal 通常用于正式语体，多用于描述战争或国际关系中的报复行为，比较常见于新闻或书面表达；日常口语中较少使用，口语中更常说 revenge 或 payback。
All six end in the same spelling '-sal', but none rhymes with reprisal /rɪˈpraɪzəl/. Appraisal, proposal, and refusal end in /zəl/, while dispersal, rehearsal, and reversal end in /səl/. The stressed vowel in each of these words is different from the /aɪ/ in reprisal, so they are lookalikes, not rhymes.
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.