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 + at
The Senator hit back at his critics.

Examples of hit back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But the singer's mother, Tina Knowles, hit back in a post on Instagram targeting a post from conservative commentator Candace Owens. Jordan King shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 DeLauro hit back, saying that Kennedy's comparison of the U.S. response to measles to the response of other countries was unfair. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 14 May 2025 Dentists and epidemiologists have hit back at those accusations as scientifically unproven, and have warned that removing fluoride from water systems could take a serious toll on public health. Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 14 May 2025 SoftBank hits back at Stargate funding report SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has sought to position company as a key player in artificial intelligence through various investments and acquisitions. Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for hit back

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Cite this Entry

“Hit back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%20back. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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