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
China in turn struck back at Washington with retaliatory tariffs of up to 125% on U.S. imports.
—
Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025
Image China struck back at U.S. tariffs with an export pause
China has suspended exports of certain rare earth minerals and magnets that are crucial for the world’s car, semiconductor and aerospace industries.
—Justin Porter, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The Lions held the lead until the 67th minute when Salado struck back.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
Some began voicing support for legislation meant to rein in a president’s tariff powers, before the White House struck back forcefully with a veto threat.
—Time, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for strike back
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Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2025
Image China struck back at U.S. tariffs with an export pause
China has suspended exports of certain rare earth minerals and magnets that are crucial for the world’s car, semiconductor and aerospace industries.
—Justin Porter, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
The Lions held the lead until the 67th minute when Salado struck back.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025
Some began voicing support for legislation meant to rein in a president’s tariff powers, before the White House struck back forcefully with a veto threat.
—Time, 10 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 2025.
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