hit back

phrasal verb

hit back; hitting back; hits back
informal
: to attack or criticize someone after being attacked or criticized by them
Weary of her rival's accusations, the candidate hit back with an aggressive ad campaign.
The team hit back with a touchdown of their own.
often + at
The Senator hit back at his critics.

Examples of hit back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After Cuban’s comments, various Republican women hit back on the billionaire’s claims while affirming Trump’s support of them and their leadership. Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 2 Nov. 2024 The stock is 17% from the 52-week high hit back in May. Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024 The other side: Democrats have spent nearly $9 million to refute the GOP attacks or hit back at Republican opposition to broader LGBTQ rights. Stephen Neukam, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 In a statement Monday, his defense attorneys hit back against the new allegations, accusing the plaintiff's lawyer of lacking credibility. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hit back 

Dictionary Entries Near hit back

Cite this Entry

“Hit back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%20back. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on hit back

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!