fight back tears
idiomatic phrase
variants
or less commonly fight back the tears
: to try very hard not to cry
He was fighting back tears as he announced his resignation.
Examples of fight back tears in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
O’Connor struggled to fight back tears after his first tour win.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2021
The woman closed her eyes and appeared to fight back tears after the verdict was read and Circuit Judge Victoria Valentine polled jurors to confirm their decision.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 15 June 2023
His tone varied from anger to at one point appearing to fight back tears.
—Michael Gehlken, Dallas News, 8 Mar. 2023
As the segment progressed, Strong started to break character and fight back tears while reminiscing about her time on the sketch comedy series.
—Christi Carrasstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2022
Harmon flashed a thumbs-up as he was put on the cart in an emotional scene that included Oklahoma linebacker Kelvin Gilliam, a childhood friend and high school teammate, appearing to fight back tears.
—Schuyler Dixon, ajc, 1 Oct. 2022
Marchand grew emotional, appearing to fight back tears.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 May 2023
Constance Malcolm, whose son Ramarley Graham was killed by a New York City police officer in his home in 2012, had to fight back tears before speaking into the megaphone.
—David Zucchino, BostonGlobe.com, 6 June 2020
McIntyre appears even more distraught after hearing the request, turning away from Clark and repeatedly burying his face in his hands while appearing to fight back tears.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 3 Feb. 2023
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.
BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2021
The woman closed her eyes and appeared to fight back tears after the verdict was read and Circuit Judge Victoria Valentine polled jurors to confirm their decision.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 15 June 2023
His tone varied from anger to at one point appearing to fight back tears.
—Michael Gehlken, Dallas News, 8 Mar. 2023
As the segment progressed, Strong started to break character and fight back tears while reminiscing about her time on the sketch comedy series.
—Christi Carrasstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2022
Harmon flashed a thumbs-up as he was put on the cart in an emotional scene that included Oklahoma linebacker Kelvin Gilliam, a childhood friend and high school teammate, appearing to fight back tears.
—Schuyler Dixon, ajc, 1 Oct. 2022
Marchand grew emotional, appearing to fight back tears.
—David Waldstein, New York Times, 1 May 2023
Constance Malcolm, whose son Ramarley Graham was killed by a New York City police officer in his home in 2012, had to fight back tears before speaking into the megaphone.
—David Zucchino, BostonGlobe.com, 6 June 2020
McIntyre appears even more distraught after hearing the request, turning away from Clark and repeatedly burying his face in his hands while appearing to fight back tears.
—Perry Vandell, The Arizona Republic, 3 Feb. 2023
Dictionary Entries Near fight back tears
Cite this Entry
“Fight back tears.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight%20back%20tears. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share