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
The young model previously hit back at criticism over her choice to pose for lingerie ads with Klum.
—
Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2025
The yuk fest came after the White House hit back at the show for slamming Trump in its Wednesday night season premiere.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 July 2025
Short-seller Nate Anderson, whose research sent Nikola CEO Trevor Milton to prison, hit back against a Tucker Carlson show portraying the executive as a deep-state victim.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 24 July 2025
Ultimately, Hewitt decided to use her work as a way of hitting back at anyone who tried to frame her body as the center of a conversation.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2025
The yuk fest came after the White House hit back at the show for slamming Trump in its Wednesday night season premiere.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 25 July 2025
Short-seller Nate Anderson, whose research sent Nikola CEO Trevor Milton to prison, hit back against a Tucker Carlson show portraying the executive as a deep-state victim.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 24 July 2025
Ultimately, Hewitt decided to use her work as a way of hitting back at anyone who tried to frame her body as the center of a conversation.
—Rance Collins, IndieWire, 19 July 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 3 Aug. 2025.
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