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.

Buttigieg quickly hit back at Trump, who used an expletive to describe his stewardship of the Department of Transportation. —

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 30 Jan. 2025 Activists are using the salute Musk made at Trump's inauguration to hit back by trying to taint his brand with a reference to the Third Reich's swastika symbol. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025 Newsom hit back both in interviews and via a fact-checking website, accusing the president and his allies of spreading misinformation. —

Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 24 Jan. 2025 Apparently receiving backlash for the procedure, Bhabie shared two text posts on her Instagram Stories hitting back at critics. —

Catherine Santino, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for hit back