fired back; firing back; fires back
: to answer someone quickly and usually angrily
After his statement, his opponents fired back.
—often used with atShe fired back at her critics.
: to utter as a quick and angry response
He fired back a comparable insult …—
Drew T. Brown III
Drew T. Brown IIIExamples of fireback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
There’s also a cast iron fireback in the fireplace in the living room.
—Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2022
Cara Anna, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
While most have been intercepted and no Gulf nation has fired back, the question now is, for how long?
—CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
The United States and Israel launched a wave of preemptive strikes on Iran that the Pentagon dubbed Operation Epic Fury, which targeted Iranian officials, and Iran has fired back.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Iran fired back at targets across the region today, but many of its missiles appear to have been intercepted and caused limited damage.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops, who fired back, killing four and wounding six, Cuba’s government says.
—Danica Coto, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Lawyers representing What-A-Burger #13 and its owner, Zeb Bost, fired back that Whataburger broke a previous, decades-old agreement first with the Bost family that would allow the North Carolina business to operate without interference in Stanly and Cabarrus counties.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
In response to the essay, Duff's husband, Matthew Koma, fired back and shared a photo of himself photoshopped onto Tisdale-French's body on his Instagram story.
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
American Olympian Lindsey Vonn fired back at critics who needled her for taking a spot on Team USA despite having a ruptured ACL and later breaking her leg.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
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Noun
The head was followed by bright yellowish-orange tail feathers, easily identifiable as the fireback.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
There’s also a cast iron fireback in the fireplace in the living room.
—Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2022
Verb
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed strikes on Israel for the first time in more than a year, and Israel fired back.
—Cara Anna, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
While most have been intercepted and no Gulf nation has fired back, the question now is, for how long?
—CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026
The United States and Israel launched a wave of preemptive strikes on Iran that the Pentagon dubbed Operation Epic Fury, which targeted Iranian officials, and Iran has fired back.
—Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 28 Feb. 2026
Iran fired back at targets across the region today, but many of its missiles appear to have been intercepted and caused limited damage.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 28 Feb. 2026
Cuban soldiers confronted a speedboat carrying 10 people as the vessel approached the island and opened fire on the troops, who fired back, killing four and wounding six, Cuba’s government says.
—Danica Coto, Sun Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2026
Lawyers representing What-A-Burger #13 and its owner, Zeb Bost, fired back that Whataburger broke a previous, decades-old agreement first with the Bost family that would allow the North Carolina business to operate without interference in Stanly and Cabarrus counties.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
In response to the essay, Duff's husband, Matthew Koma, fired back and shared a photo of himself photoshopped onto Tisdale-French's body on his Instagram story.
—Angeline Jane Bernabe, ABC News, 25 Feb. 2026
American Olympian Lindsey Vonn fired back at critics who needled her for taking a spot on Team USA despite having a ruptured ACL and later breaking her leg.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fireback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fireback. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.
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