retort

Plural: retorts

Noun

• a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)
• a vessel where substances are distilled or decomposed by heat
• A sharp or witty reply, or one which turns an argument against its originator; a comeback.
• A flask with a rounded base and a long neck that is bent down and tapered, used to heat a liquid for distillation.
• An airtight vessel in which material is subjected to high temperatures in the chemical industry or as part of an industrial manufacturing process, especially during the smelting and forging of metal.
• A pressure cooker.
• A crematory furnace.

Verb

Verb Forms: retorted, retorting, retorts

• To reply sharply, often in a witty or critical manner.
• answer back
• To say something sharp or witty in answer to a remark or accusation.
• To make a remark which reverses an argument upon its originator; to return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility.
• To bend or curve back.
• To throw back; to reverberate; to reflect.
• To heat in a retort.

Examples

• "That’s a valid word!" he retorted, confidently challenging his opponent’s play.
• He countered her insult with a clever retort.

Synonyms

come back, comeback, counter, rejoin, rejoinder, repay, replication, return, riposte, back answer

Anagrams of retort