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
Also, Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership is unpopular at home; an attack would give Islamabad an additional incentive to strike back, and rally citizens around the flag.
—
Michael Kugelman, Time, 3 May 2025
Three decades later, Azerbaijan—now an oil-rich autocracy with a powerful army—struck back.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
China has struck back with tit-for-tat tariff increases of up to 125% in its latest retaliation last Friday.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025
Israel has struck back against the rebels in Yemen, and the United States, Israel’s top ally, launched an ongoing campaign of strikes against them in March.
—Ohad Zwigenberg and Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for strike back
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Michael Kugelman, Time, 3 May 2025
Three decades later, Azerbaijan—now an oil-rich autocracy with a powerful army—struck back.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
China has struck back with tit-for-tat tariff increases of up to 125% in its latest retaliation last Friday.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025
Israel has struck back against the rebels in Yemen, and the United States, Israel’s top ally, launched an ongoing campaign of strikes against them in March.
—Ohad Zwigenberg and Tia Goldenberg, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for strike back
Cite this Entry
“Strike back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20back. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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