riposte

plural ripostes · alternative ripost

1. fencingA thrust given in return after parrying an attack.
2. broadlyA counter-attack in any combat or any sport.

   Some context is required. Moldova were weak at the back and blunt up front, and have failed to score in six matches stretching back to last October, with only hints at English complacency offering them glimpses of summoning a riposte.

   2012 September 7, Dominic Fifield, “England start World Cup campaign with five-goal romp against Moldova”, in The Guardian

3. figurativelyA quick and usually witty response to a taunt.

   Watson’s letter was a riposte to the accusation made on Tuesday by Corbyn’s campaign that he was “peddling conspiracy theories” after he said in a Guardian interview that Labour was at risk from “Trotskyist entryists”.

   2016 August 10, Heather Stewart, “Tom Watson sends Corbyn 'proof of Trotskyist Labour infiltration'”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   2 more examples

   This face-saving reminds us of some American ripostes a few months back when their space rockets seemed disinclined to leave the earth very far behind; after all, they said, the Russians are only chucking heavy machinery at the moon, whereas we're trying to be more sophisticated and get a sewing-machine up there.

   1961 March, “Talking of trains”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 129–130

   [French president Emmanuel] Macron fired back [at US president Donald Trump] on Thursday with his own tart riposte, telling journalists, “This is not a show. We are talking about war and peace. ... When you want to be serious,” he continued, “you don’t say every day the opposite of what you said the day before.”

   2026 April 5, Howard LaFranchi, “Trump’s war in Iran puts new strain on alliances. Why this time it’s different.”, in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, Massachusetts: Christian Science Publishing Society, →ISSN, →OCLC

   Synonyms: retort

4. An answer or reply, rapidly uttered, in response to a question or problem.

present singular third person ripostes · participle present riposting · participle past riposted · past riposted · alternative ripost

1. fencingTo attempt to hit an opponent after parrying an attack.
2. To respond quickly; particularly if the response is humorous.

   I left him and went to a tavern by the quays where the college bucks were drinking and singing hymns. There was Giles who invited old men back to his college apartments for games. Members of the rowing club riposted, for God's sake, man, clean up your life.

   1963, J P Donleavy, A Singular Man, published 1963 (USA), page 204