fire back
verb
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 fire back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Fifield fired back at the New York Times in an X post on Friday for downplaying the story.
—Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2026
Oakley fired back with a defamation lawsuit.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
In April, Donna fired back at a comment about her appearance.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Lew said more than one officer fired back.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
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
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Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2026
Oakley fired back with a defamation lawsuit.
—Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026
In April, Donna fired back at a comment about her appearance.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
Lew said more than one officer fired back.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 1 June 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Fire back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire%20back. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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