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 + atThe Senator hit back at his critics.
Examples of hit back in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Here's how much an iPhone could cost with Trump's tariffs on China
China hikes tariffs on U.S. goods to 84%, as EU also hits back
Apple airlifts iPhones out of India to avoid Trump tariffs, report says
Why did Trump pause the tariffs?
—
Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
China hit back on Thursday with tariffs of 84 percent on American goods.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
While the Trump administration initially announced a 34 percent reciprocal tariff on China, in addition to the 20 percent tariffs already put in place earlier this year, China hit back by imposing a 34 percent tariff.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
The move worsened the Great Depression, as European countries hit back with retaliatory tariffs and total US imports dropped by 40% in two years.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
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Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
China hit back on Thursday with tariffs of 84 percent on American goods.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
While the Trump administration initially announced a 34 percent reciprocal tariff on China, in addition to the 20 percent tariffs already put in place earlier this year, China hit back by imposing a 34 percent tariff.
—Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
The move worsened the Great Depression, as European countries hit back with retaliatory tariffs and total US imports dropped by 40% in two years.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit back
Cite this Entry
“Hit back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%20back. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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