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

Fortunately, the state has fought back by appealing the decisions or suing and has already won some reprieve. —Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026

Dramatic video shows the moments when a Montclair jewelry store employee fights back during a robbery last week. —Lauren Pozen, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026

The 28-year-old pushed forward on one ski before being handed a replacement, and her teammates fought back to finish with the silver. —ABC News, 14 Feb. 2026

Bielsa’s Leeds fought back from 2-0 down at Villa to win 3-2 with a stoppage-time winner from Kemar Roofe, which took them above Farke’s Norwich City into the Championship lead. —Beren Cross, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026

Rhymes for fight back

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