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 + atThe Senator hit back at his critics.
Examples of hit back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Raducanu trailed 4-0 in the first set against Muchová but soon hit back to make it 5-4.
—
George Ramsay, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
Slowly started hitting back in December and started building up.
—John Laghezza, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
China hit back with a 15% tariff on imports from the United States.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
What to watch: The order might not just look at tariffs: Trump called out Europe's value added tax as a measure the U.S. should hit back at, raising the prospect of a trade battle with the continent.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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George Ramsay, CNN, 19 Feb. 2025
Slowly started hitting back in December and started building up.
—John Laghezza, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
China hit back with a 15% tariff on imports from the United States.
—Jamie L. Lareau, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025
What to watch: The order might not just look at tariffs: Trump called out Europe's value added tax as a measure the U.S. should hit back at, raising the prospect of a trade battle with the continent.
—Courtenay Brown, Axios, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
Cite this Entry
“Hit back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%20back. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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