hit back

verb

hit back; hitting back; hits back

informal

: to attack or criticize someone after being attacked or criticized by them

Weary of her rival's accusations, the candidate hit back with an aggressive ad campaign.

The team hit back with a touchdown of their own.

—often + at

The Senator hit back at his critics.

Examples of hit back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When Tatum claimed on video last month that the trade caught him off guard, Brown hit back on Instagram with a blue cap emoji. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 11 Nov. 2026

In addition, veteran guard Jevon Carter (nine points) hit back-to-back 3-pointers that powered an 8-0 second-quarter run. — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026

Allen hit back-to-back 3-pointers, one from near the logo, and Drew Fielder hit another with three seconds left to cap a 21-2 run for a 51-34 lead. — ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

El-Sayed responded to the attacks with a mix of humor and hitting back. — Erin Cox, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026

Rhymes for hit back

• aback
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback
• cutback