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
After trailing the Seattle Mariners 2-0 in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), the Toronto Blue Jays have hit back by outscoring the Mariners 21-6 across Games 3 and 4 to tie the series.
—
George Ramsay, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
With the Phillies tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers in extra innings, Kerkering bobbled a ground ball hit back to him and overthrew the catcher with bases loaded, ultimately losing the game for his team.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Cardi hit back, writing that Minaj should be comparing herself to the Taylor Swifts of the world as opposed to her.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
That is, until the bakery hit back.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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George Ramsay, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
With the Phillies tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers in extra innings, Kerkering bobbled a ground ball hit back to him and overthrew the catcher with bases loaded, ultimately losing the game for his team.
—Shaun McAvoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Cardi hit back, writing that Minaj should be comparing herself to the Taylor Swifts of the world as opposed to her.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025
That is, until the bakery hit back.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2025.
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