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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Morning Glory: Israel strikes back and the world should be thankful. —

Fox News, 29 Oct. 2024 This week, a former adviser of Donald Trump made some controversial comments about his former boss, and Trump struck back. —

Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 26 Oct. 2024 In a subsequent court filing , Woods’ legal team struck back at Tigeraire, accusing the company of trying to capitalize off Sun Day Red’s status. —

Alex Sherman, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2024 Nearly 200 Iranian missiles targeted Israeli sites, including the Mossad headquarters, the nuclear reactor in Dimona, and strategic air bases, leaving Israel no choice but to strike back. —

Ari Shavit, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for strike back