fight back
Britishverb
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(intr) to resist an attack
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(intr) to counterattack
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(tr) to struggle to repress
she tried to fight back her tears
noun
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an act or campaign of resistance
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a counterattack
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.
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
While the so-called “spare” appeared to fight back tears during his final statement to the judge, his brother, the heir, was just two hours’ drive away on the Windsor Estate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 11, 2026
Similarly, the lesson here is that the institutions that have been willing to fight back have the law on their side and have prevailed, at least in court.
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026
But Cardona Coll showed all his experience to fight back and surge into the lead in an astonishing display of stamina and technical nous on the transition.
From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026
He tried to fight back the familiar rage with his memory of touching the Spirit Bear, but nothing seemed to ward off the bitterness and frustration that flooded his mind.
From "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelsen
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.
