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
But in recent years, the Times has fought back hard against the disruptive forces of the digital era.
—
Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2025
Legislatures have been fighting back already with proposals that could make such measures more difficult to get passed.
—Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Serving at 4-4 in the third set, Keys fought back from 0-40 and fended off four break points, any one of which would have given Swiatek the chance to serve out the match.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
The things that allowed Notre Dame to make its second half charge and fight back against the onslaught of Ohio State offense – toughness, resiliency and talent – are the traits that define football to begin with.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fight back 
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.
Dev Patnaik, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2025
Legislatures have been fighting back already with proposals that could make such measures more difficult to get passed.
—Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Serving at 4-4 in the third set, Keys fought back from 0-40 and fended off four break points, any one of which would have given Swiatek the chance to serve out the match.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
The things that allowed Notre Dame to make its second half charge and fight back against the onslaught of Ohio State offense – toughness, resiliency and talent – are the traits that define football to begin with.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fight back
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 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share