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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, Blithewold is fighting back. Will Richmond, The Providence Journal, 20 Jan. 2026 But Shanahan still believed his team had a chance to fight back despite momentum going the Seahawks’ way so early. Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 18 Jan. 2026 Unfortunately, Washington isn’t doing much to fight back. Aaron Seibert, Boston Herald, 18 Jan. 2026 At least Newcastle scored on Wearside, ending a run of seven games across two months without a goal in all competitions, and fought back to pick up a point. Chris Waugh, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fight back

Cite this Entry

“Fight back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight%20back. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.

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