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
Meanwhile, Kyiv will hit back with its own aerial attacks which have targeted Russian energy and military infrastructure like the one on Friday night in Kaluga.
Update 01/18/25, 8 a.m.
—
David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
Back then, countries hit back with tariffs that would hurt red-state economies, like soybeans or bourbon whiskey.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
Mandy Moore, one of the thousands of people who lost their homes as catastrophic fires continue to blaze across Los Angeles, is hitting back at critics who shamed her for posting a GoFundMe page for her in-laws whose home was also destroyed.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 10 Jan. 2025
Trump has called on Newsom to resign, while the governor has hit back at Trump for politicizing the disaster.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hit back 
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David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
Back then, countries hit back with tariffs that would hurt red-state economies, like soybeans or bourbon whiskey.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
Mandy Moore, one of the thousands of people who lost their homes as catastrophic fires continue to blaze across Los Angeles, is hitting back at critics who shamed her for posting a GoFundMe page for her in-laws whose home was also destroyed.
—Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 10 Jan. 2025
Trump has called on Newsom to resign, while the governor has hit back at Trump for politicizing the disaster.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
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 22 Jan. 2025.
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