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 + at
He angrily struck back at his critics.

Examples of strike 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.
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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strike back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strike%20back. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!