strike back
phrasal verb
struck back; struck back also stricken back; striking back; strikes back
: to try to hurt someone who has hurt one or treated one badly
When he called her lazy, she immediately struck back by calling him fat.
—often + atHe angrily struck back at his critics.
Examples of strike back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Deportations likely to be the first test From asylum to the Ivy league: An East Bay student’s journey
Opinion: How Mexico can strike back if Trump follows through on threats
House passes bill to deport immigrants charged with minor crimes
Border shelters relieved the pressure during migrant surges.
—
Farah Stockman, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Moscow has promised to strike back at Ukraine after claiming the Eastern European nation on Friday had shot a U.S.-supplied missile at its Belgorod region.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
Ukraine launched a surprise new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region on Sunday, aiming to strike back after months under pressure ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2025
Mexico can strike back if Trump follows through on his threats, writes Scott Morgenstern, a former director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
—Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
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Farah Stockman, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
Moscow has promised to strike back at Ukraine after claiming the Eastern European nation on Friday had shot a U.S.-supplied missile at its Belgorod region.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
Ukraine launched a surprise new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region on Sunday, aiming to strike back after months under pressure ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
—Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 5 Jan. 2025
Mexico can strike back if Trump follows through on his threats, writes Scott Morgenstern, a former director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh.
—Hunter Clauss, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for strike back
Dictionary Entries Near strike back
Cite this Entry
“Strike back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20back. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.
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