strike back

phrasal verb

struck back; struck back also stricken back; striking back; strikes back

: to try to hurt someone who has hurt one or treated one badly

When he called her lazy, she immediately struck back by calling him fat.

—often + at

He angrily struck back at his critics.

Examples of strike back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Piastri has definitely lost a few steps compared to his teammate of late, but Qatar should be a good opportunity to strike back. —Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2025

Analysts on Wall Street have been saying that there’s a new leader in the race, and the empire, so to speak, is striking back. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 25 Nov. 2025

When one of their party is shot, Franck’s friends strike back, sending an attacker to the ground. —Michael Schneider, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025

But the moment is fleeting, as the orchestra strikes back up, the sharp edge is dulled, the curtain falls, and audiences are left to ponder how a show so big could also say so little. —Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Nov. 2025

Rhymes for strike back

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• paperback
• piggyback
• quarterback
• saddleback