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 pop icon hit back at critics during an appearance on Stephen Colbert's talk show.
—
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
The longtime Met Gala host hit back at Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy's recent pre-Thanksgiving recommendation that travelers be polite and refrain from wearing pajamas to the airport.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Johnson's team just hit back, saying those claims from the alders are not backed by data.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Communications Minister Anika Wells hit back in Federal Parliament Wednesday.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
The longtime Met Gala host hit back at Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy's recent pre-Thanksgiving recommendation that travelers be polite and refrain from wearing pajamas to the airport.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Johnson's team just hit back, saying those claims from the alders are not backed by data.
—Lauren Victory, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
Communications Minister Anika Wells hit back in Federal Parliament Wednesday.
—Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 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 19 Dec. 2025.
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