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
Israel last year systematically killed Hezbollah leaders, while targeting hundreds of missile sites and top cadres to minimize Hezbollah’s ability to strike back.
—
Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2025
But the Rockies struck back in the second, when Brenton Doyle’s double was followed up by a two-out RBI single by rookie shortstop Ryan Ritter to tie the game.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
The Padres struck back in the following half-inning, as Tyler Wade lofted a fly ball into the gap that Hernández couldn’t track, resulting in a go-ahead, bases-clearing three-run triple.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 10 June 2025
But the Oilers struck back soon after Bennett’s second score.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for strike back
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Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2025
But the Rockies struck back in the second, when Brenton Doyle’s double was followed up by a two-out RBI single by rookie shortstop Ryan Ritter to tie the game.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
The Padres struck back in the following half-inning, as Tyler Wade lofted a fly ball into the gap that Hernández couldn’t track, resulting in a go-ahead, bases-clearing three-run triple.
—Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 10 June 2025
But the Oilers struck back soon after Bennett’s second score.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 5 June 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 19 Jun. 2025.
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