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
Jack Fink, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Hezbollah has fired back with a much smaller number of attacks on Israeli forces.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 31 May 2026
Jordan Smith leads the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth after firing back-to-back rounds of 5-under 65 to reach 10-under through 36 holes.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2026
Fernandes has been firing back.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Someone from the Mercedes fired back toward the EcoSport several times before the car fled drove off.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Nobody screams or yells; the Marsies just fire back, and M-6 troops continue to fire in response.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 22 May 2026
Natalie Neysa Alund Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez fired back at the Justice Department for indicting Castro on Wednesday, saying the country acted in self defense in the more than three-decade-old killings.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Griffin fired back at Mamdani, threatening to alter plans for his company’s new office tower in Manhattan.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 20 May 2026
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.
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
In an interview with CBS News Texas on Wednesday, Talarico fired back at Paxton.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Hezbollah has fired back with a much smaller number of attacks on Israeli forces.
—Greg Myre, NPR, 31 May 2026
Jordan Smith leads the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth after firing back-to-back rounds of 5-under 65 to reach 10-under through 36 holes.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 May 2026
Fernandes has been firing back.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Someone from the Mercedes fired back toward the EcoSport several times before the car fled drove off.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2026
Nobody screams or yells; the Marsies just fire back, and M-6 troops continue to fire in response.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 22 May 2026
Natalie Neysa Alund Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez fired back at the Justice Department for indicting Castro on Wednesday, saying the country acted in self defense in the more than three-decade-old killings.
—Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 20 May 2026
Griffin fired back at Mamdani, threatening to alter plans for his company’s new office tower in Manhattan.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fireback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fireback. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
