fireback

1 of 2

noun

fire·​back ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌbak 

: an often decorated cast-iron plate lining the back wall of a fireplace

fire back

2 of 2

verb

fired back; firing back; fires back

intransitive verb

: to answer someone quickly and usually angrily

After his statement, his opponents fired back.

—often used with at

She fired back at her critics.

transitive verb

: to utter as a quick and angry response

He fired back a comparable insult …

—Drew T. Brown III

Examples of fireback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The head was followed by bright yellowish-orange tail feathers, easily identifiable as the fireback. — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025

Verb

This marks the second time in two months that Grande has fired back at the administration for using one of her tracks on socials. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

He's fired back at some of these figures, but there was a couple of waves of this. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1566, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1880, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for fireback

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• paperback
• piggyback
• quarterback
• saddleback