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

Kelly Osbourne hits back at comments about her appearance at BRIT AwardsNeed a news break? — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026

Tyrone Taylor and Nico Hoerner hit back-to-back homers off Harrison in the first, and Bregman connected in the second. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Crump hits back on allegations of profiteering For nearly two decades, Parks and Crump successfully litigated cases across Florida, often securing settlements worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. — Ryan Young, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Katie Couric, Boy George, and the band Garbage all hit back at the star’s comments. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for hit back

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