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
Mayor Wu’s office hit back at ICE in a statement.
—
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, Gulf states and targets critical to the world’s energy production.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Tehran and its allies hit back across the region, striking Israel and a variety of targets inside Gulf states, including energy facilities in Qatar and the American embassy in Saudi Arabia.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2026
Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, Gulf states and targets critical to the world’s energy production.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026
Tehran and its allies hit back across the region, striking Israel and a variety of targets inside Gulf states, including energy facilities in Qatar and the American embassy in Saudi Arabia.
—Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026
Tehran and its allies hit back against Israel, neighboring Gulf states, and targets critical to the world’s production of oil and natural gas.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2026
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 5 Mar. 2026.
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