fight back

phrasal verb

fought back; fighting back; fights back

1

: to attack or try to defeat someone who is attacking or trying to defeat oneself

We can't just let them make these accusations against us. We need to fight back!

2

: to make a new effort against an opponent

They fell behind early in the game, but they were able to fight back and tie the score in the second half.

Examples of fight back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Analyst Dan Orlovsky fought back against the penalty on the telecast. —Mike Kaye updated January 3, Charlotte Observer, 4 Jan. 2026

Even before Suggs got hurt, however, the Magic led by as many as 13 points prior to the Bulls fighting back, marking yet another game in which Orlando surrendered a double-digit lead in a loss. —Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026

However, if a mountain lion attacks, CPW encourages hikers to engage and fight back. —Alan Gionet, CBS News, 3 Jan. 2026

The ghosts of Holiday Bowl past lingered around Snapdragon Stadium on Friday, however, as Arizona (9-4) fought back from the 24-point deficit. —Kyle Kensing, Dallas Morning News, 3 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for fight back

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback