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Synonyms

fight back

British  

verb

  1. (intr) to resist an attack

  2. (intr) to counterattack

  3. (tr) to struggle to repress

    she tried to fight back her tears
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an act or campaign of resistance

  2. a counterattack

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That money represents care — recommended by physicians — that patients never received because they didn’t know they could fight back.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

But O'Sullivan quickly shook off any "rust" as he moved into a controlling position and it would be a huge shock if He was able to fight back.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Although the Yellow Vests often claimed they were forced to fight back against what they saw as police aggression, none of the protesters advocated violence against people.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

“They’ll fight back, and therefore the collapse of the regime will take a long time, and it won’t be easy,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

Then Maddy reached over and took Momly's hand, her chest heaving as she worked to fight back her own feelings, even though she had been there the whole time.

From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.