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 + at

The Senator hit back at his critics.

Examples of hit back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

China hit back immediately with export controls on minerals used in industrial processes. —

Carlie Procell, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025 Beijing has hit back against the tariffs, announcing on Tuesday a broad package of economic measures targeting the US, which will go into effect next week. —

Hassan Tayir, CNN, 5 Feb. 2025 José Raúl Mulino, the President of Panama, hit back. —

Robin Wright, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025 As the toll from nearly three years of war has climbed, Ukraine has been building its arsenal of missiles and long-range drones to hit back. —

Cassandra Vinograd, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for hit back