bite back
phrasal verb
bit back; bitten back also bit back; biting back; bites back
informal
1
: to attack or criticize someone after being attacked or criticized by them
Weary of her rival's accusations, the candidate bit back with an aggressive ad campaign.
—often + atShe bit back at her rival with an aggressive ad campaign.
2
: to stop oneself from saying (something)
I attempted to smile sweetly while biting back angry comments.
Examples of bite back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Edward Segarra Everybody’s a critic, but Sydney Sweeney is biting back.
—
USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Meloni government bites back Italy’s government, led by the right-wing Brothers of Italy party and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has gotten into plenty of cultural scrapes since taking power in October 2022.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
Team Biden bites back at report's claims The White House, Biden campaign and Democrats at-large have been very protective of the president when questions about his health arise.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024
CEOs bite back There has been a clear sea change in the debate about where people work.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2023
After López-Alt’s critical Instagram story, Portnoy bit back during a One Bite review.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Meloni government bites back Italy’s government, led by the right-wing Brothers of Italy party and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has gotten into plenty of cultural scrapes since taking power in October 2022.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 17 Apr. 2024
Team Biden bites back at report's claims The White House, Biden campaign and Democrats at-large have been very protective of the president when questions about his health arise.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2024
CEOs bite back There has been a clear sea change in the debate about where people work.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2023
After López-Alt’s critical Instagram story, Portnoy bit back during a One Bite review.
—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bite back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bite back
Cite this Entry
“Bite back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bite%20back. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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