fired back; firing back; fires back
: to answer someone quickly and usually angrily
After his statement, his opponents fired back.
—often used with atShe fired back at her critics.
: to utter as a quick and angry response
He fired back a comparable insult …—
Drew T. Brown III
Drew T. Brown IIIExamples of fireback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
There’s also a cast iron fireback in the fireplace in the living room.
—Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2022
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors say the officer fired back, striking the teen in the leg.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
But Hezbollah has still been able to fire back, launching hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel, often coinciding with barrages of Iranian ballistic missiles.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Bocelli is hardly the first in the opera community to fire back at Chalamet for his viral comment.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
And Israel has been firing back hard.
—Greg Dixon, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026
Quentin Tarantino today fired back at Rosanna Arquette‘s recent critique of Pulp Fiction, specifically Tarantino’s frequent use of the N-word.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Many ballet dancers and opera singers fired back at Chalamet.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
The Bruins came firing back, led by Dent, who basically took a blowtorch to the Trojans’ defensive plans.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
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Noun
The head was followed by bright yellowish-orange tail feathers, easily identifiable as the fireback.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025
There’s also a cast iron fireback in the fireplace in the living room.
—Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2022
Verb
Media reports say police fired back at Ray and that two officers were injured, including one who suffered a graze bullet wound to the head.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
Prosecutors say the officer fired back, striking the teen in the leg.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026
But Hezbollah has still been able to fire back, launching hundreds of rockets and drones into Israel, often coinciding with barrages of Iranian ballistic missiles.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
Bocelli is hardly the first in the opera community to fire back at Chalamet for his viral comment.
—Jack Dunn, Variety, 12 Mar. 2026
And Israel has been firing back hard.
—Greg Dixon, NPR, 11 Mar. 2026
Quentin Tarantino today fired back at Rosanna Arquette‘s recent critique of Pulp Fiction, specifically Tarantino’s frequent use of the N-word.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
Many ballet dancers and opera singers fired back at Chalamet.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Mar. 2026
The Bruins came firing back, led by Dent, who basically took a blowtorch to the Trojans’ defensive plans.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fireback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fireback. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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