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
O’Brien likes busting chops and admires people who are prepared to fight back.
—
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Mike explains the truth to Armando, who angrily beats Mike, but Mike refuses to fight back.
—Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Sacramento led by as many 21 in the second quarter, but the Knicks fought back to make it 60-52 at halftime behind 18 points from Brunson and 12 points from Hart.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Homeowners fought back and chased would-be thieves across San Francisco Bay.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
Congress has been trying to crack down on data brokers — and the data brokers are fighting back.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 5 Apr. 2024
One side can unilaterally initiate hostilities, as Russia did, but war would not occur unless the other side chooses to fight back.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
As the GOP’s censorship efforts have swept across the country, Democratic lawmakers have attempted to fight back with anti-book ban bills.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 1 Apr. 2024
Orr's daughter, 38-year-old Holly Marrocco, tells PEOPLE that her dad has experienced progression of his Parkinson's in the 10 years since his diagnosis, but continues to fight back against the neurodegenerative disorder by taking boxing classes and working out every morning.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Mike explains the truth to Armando, who angrily beats Mike, but Mike refuses to fight back.
—Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Sacramento led by as many 21 in the second quarter, but the Knicks fought back to make it 60-52 at halftime behind 18 points from Brunson and 12 points from Hart.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Homeowners fought back and chased would-be thieves across San Francisco Bay.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
Congress has been trying to crack down on data brokers — and the data brokers are fighting back.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 5 Apr. 2024
One side can unilaterally initiate hostilities, as Russia did, but war would not occur unless the other side chooses to fight back.
—Branislav L. Slantchev, Foreign Affairs, 1 Apr. 2024
As the GOP’s censorship efforts have swept across the country, Democratic lawmakers have attempted to fight back with anti-book ban bills.
—Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 1 Apr. 2024
Orr's daughter, 38-year-old Holly Marrocco, tells PEOPLE that her dad has experienced progression of his Parkinson's in the 10 years since his diagnosis, but continues to fight back against the neurodegenerative disorder by taking boxing classes and working out every morning.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fight back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Fight back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight%20back. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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