A sharp reply is a quick and witty response to a comment or question. The term can be broken down into three words: RETORT (6 letters), RIPOSTE (7 letters), and REJOINDER (9 letters). A RETORT is a quick, often witty, response to a comment or question. A RIPOSTE is a quick, clever, and often cutting response to a comment or question. A REJOINDER is a quick, often witty, response to a comment or question that is intended to refute or counter the original comment or question.