fight back
— phrasal verb with fight uk/faɪt/us/faɪt/verb fought, fought
to defend yourself when someone attacks you physically:
He fought back and managed to wrestle the knife from his attacker's hands.
to defend yourself against criticisms, accusations, etc.:
Jones has denied the charge and has fought back publicly.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Responding to an attack
- beat
- beat sb off
- beat sb/sth back
- capitulate
- counterattack
- fend sb off
- fight
- fight fire with fire idiom
- hold out
- parry
- repel
- repulse
- resist
- resistance
- resistance
- retreat
- see sb off
- stand up to sb/sth
- strike
- withdrawal
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