fight back
phrasal verb
fought back; fighting back; fights back
1
: to attack or try to defeat someone who is attacking or trying to defeat oneself
We can't just let them make these accusations against us. We need to fight back!
2
: to make a new effort against an opponent
They fell behind early in the game, but they were able to fight back and tie the score in the second half.
Examples of fight back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet in the decades that have passed, what’s endured is a genuine punk spirit, fed by Hanna’s ongoing force as a gutsy, proud feminist who helped other artists and fans fight back against abuse and discrimination.
—
Lauren Leblanc, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Nikiya Mathis, a hair and wig designer fighting back against hair discrimination for Black actors and who worked on shows such as JaJa’s African Hair Braiding, Top Dog/Underdog, Death of a Salesman and more.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 May 2024
While the Taliban forced many Afghan women to abandon their workplaces and universities, some chose to fight back.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 2 May 2024
O’Brien likes busting chops and admires people who are prepared to fight back.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Mike explains the truth to Armando, who angrily beats Mike, but Mike refuses to fight back.
—Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Sacramento led by as many 21 in the second quarter, but the Knicks fought back to make it 60-52 at halftime behind 18 points from Brunson and 12 points from Hart.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Homeowners fought back and chased would-be thieves across San Francisco Bay.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
Congress has been trying to crack down on data brokers — and the data brokers are fighting back.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 5 Apr. 2024
Lauren Leblanc, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Nikiya Mathis, a hair and wig designer fighting back against hair discrimination for Black actors and who worked on shows such as JaJa’s African Hair Braiding, Top Dog/Underdog, Death of a Salesman and more.
—Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 May 2024
While the Taliban forced many Afghan women to abandon their workplaces and universities, some chose to fight back.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 2 May 2024
O’Brien likes busting chops and admires people who are prepared to fight back.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Mike explains the truth to Armando, who angrily beats Mike, but Mike refuses to fight back.
—Jacqueline Weiss, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
Sacramento led by as many 21 in the second quarter, but the Knicks fought back to make it 60-52 at halftime behind 18 points from Brunson and 12 points from Hart.
—Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 5 Apr. 2024
Homeowners fought back and chased would-be thieves across San Francisco Bay.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 2 Apr. 2024
Congress has been trying to crack down on data brokers — and the data brokers are fighting back.
—Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fight back.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fight back
Cite this Entry
“Fight back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight%20back. Accessed 6 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share