hit back
phrasal verb
hit back; hitting back; hits back
informal
: to attack or criticize someone after being attacked or criticized by them
Weary of her rival's accusations, the candidate hit back with an aggressive ad campaign.
The team hit back with a touchdown of their own.
—often + atThe Senator hit back at his critics.
Examples of hit back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Blake Lively's lawyers have hit back at Justin Baldoni's legal team, who suggested the actress should hold off on celebrations following a judge's motion to dismiss his $400 million lawsuit against her.
—
Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Musk wasted no time hitting back at Trump, slamming his onetime political idol in what amounted to a live-online running commentary on his X platform.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
And many expect the Trump administration to hit back.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 1 June 2025
The stock is 24% from the 52-week high hit back in December.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Musk wasted no time hitting back at Trump, slamming his onetime political idol in what amounted to a live-online running commentary on his X platform.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
And many expect the Trump administration to hit back.
—Kimmy Yam, NBC news, 1 June 2025
The stock is 24% from the 52-week high hit back in December.
—Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
Cite this Entry
“Hit back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%20back. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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