strike back

verb

struck back; striking back; strikes back

intransitive verb

: to hurt someone in return
struck back at their enemies for the attack

Examples of strike back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Louisville struck back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to knot the score at 5-all. Staff Report, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026 The Hezbollah terrorists were supported by Iran, but America didn’t strike back. Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 25 May 2026 Then, Democrats struck back, redrawing California’s map to try to regain five seats. David Remnick, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 Claude Mythos has dominated the conversation around cybersecurity since Anthropic’s Project Glasswing announcement, but Microsoft is striking back. Tim Keary, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for strike back

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strike back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20back. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster