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In the sport of fencing, a riposte is a counterattack made after successfully fending off one's opponent. English speakers borrowed the name for this particular maneuver from French in the early 1700s, but the French had simply modified the Italian word risposta, which literally means "answer." Ultimately these words come from the Latin verb respondēre, meaning "to respond." It seems fitting that riposte has since come full circle to now refer to a quick and witty response performed as a form of retaliation.
Examples of riposte in a Sentence
Brian Bennett, TIME, 11 Sep. 2024
In an attention getting riposte, the aforementioned Polis penned a satirical letter calling for a ban on the dollar.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 3 Sep. 2024
Although the United States and its allies could deal with such ripostes, there would be no obvious military strategy to bring even a desultory exchange of strikes and counterstrikes to an end.
—Barry R. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 7 Sep. 2010
For this demographic, the Olympics have been an ode to France’s multiculturalism — its opening ceremony was replete with drag performers and Lady Gaga — and as a riposte to the ultraconservative forces growing elsewhere in France.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for riposte 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'riposte.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Riposte.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riposte. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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riposte
noun
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