A reprisal is something violent or harmful you do on purpose, because someone harmed you first — payback that is meant to punish. It is a hard word. You hear it of countries, armies, and armed groups: one side hits, the other answers with a reprisal. You also hear it at work and in politics, often in the plural: people keep quiet for fear of reprisals, meaning they are afraid that if they speak, someone will hurt their job or their name. It is more than a small “I’ll get you back”; the word carries force, damage, or at least serious cost. Though actually, news writers sometimes stretch it for any sharp payback, even when no one is hurt in the body. It is not surprise, and it is not reprise (a repeat in music, or a return to an old role). The old idea underneath is “taking back” — as if you were seizing something to make the loss even.