hit back
phrasal 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 + atThe Senator hit back at his critics.
Examples of hit back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Forward Vuk Boskovic scored 10 points and hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second half to help the Toreros to a 15-point lead.
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Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
But Los Angeles quickly hit back, scoring 17 unanswered points.
—Frank Nunns Oconnell, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
But Carey, embracing the extra responsibility of batting at No 6, hit back in the best traditions of Australian keeper-batters and, according to the analysts CricViz, defended only 13 per cent of his 143 deliveries while making a priceless 106.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
The pop icon hit back at critics during an appearance on Stephen Colbert's talk show.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
But Los Angeles quickly hit back, scoring 17 unanswered points.
—Frank Nunns Oconnell, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
But Carey, embracing the extra responsibility of batting at No 6, hit back in the best traditions of Australian keeper-batters and, according to the analysts CricViz, defended only 13 per cent of his 143 deliveries while making a priceless 106.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025
The pop icon hit back at critics during an appearance on Stephen Colbert's talk show.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
Cite this Entry
“Hit back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%20back. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.
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