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
The dentist who performed the cleaning is fighting back with a scathing digital billboard message.
—
Tracy Harmon, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The Old Lady fought back control however, PSV failing to clear a free kick from Teun Koopmeiners and looking on helplessly as Tim Weah lashed a shot into the back of the net from long range.
—Adam Digby, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The sweet video of the senior dog has left internet users fighting back the tears, leading to more than 241,800 views and 8,500 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Some players have fought back against the tag by holding out during training camp and even extending that into the season in some cases.
—Mark Puleo, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for fight back 
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Tracy Harmon, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
The Old Lady fought back control however, PSV failing to clear a free kick from Teun Koopmeiners and looking on helplessly as Tim Weah lashed a shot into the back of the net from long range.
—Adam Digby, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025
The sweet video of the senior dog has left internet users fighting back the tears, leading to more than 241,800 views and 8,500 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Some players have fought back against the tag by holding out during training camp and even extending that into the season in some cases.
—Mark Puleo, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 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 23 Feb. 2025.
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