Phrase guide

fight back

verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /faɪt bæk/
  • Canada, US: [fʌɪt bæk]

1

verb

Meaning 1

To defend oneself by fighting.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The bully hadn't been expecting his victim to fight back, and now the bully has quadriplegia.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To defend oneself by fighting.

To counterattack (counterstrike); to resist an attack or respond after one.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • During the Pearl Harbor attack, the U.S. Navy began fighting back, and it wouldn't stop until August 1945.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

to repress; to struggle to repress.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • fight back tears
  • She tried to fight back her laughter.
  • It was especially after the Battle of Midway that the U.S. was able to fight the Japanese back toward their home islands.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To overturn a losing deficit.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

fight against or resist strongly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The senator said he would oppose the bill
  • Don't fight it!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fight, oppose, fight down, defend

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: contend, fight, struggle

Narrower terms: recalcitrate, resist, stand, fend, hold out, withstand, stand firm, repel, repulse, fight off, rebuff, drive back

6

verb

Meaning 6

defend oneself

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: contend, fight, struggle

History

Etymology

From fight and back.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: taistella — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Italian: difendersi — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Italian: contrastare — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Italian: combattere — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Latin: renītor — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Polish: bronić się — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Polish: obronić się — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Polish: stawiać opór — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Polish: stawić opór — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Tagalog: manlaban — to defend oneself by fighting
  • Catalan: contraatacar — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Esperanto: kontraŭataki — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Finnish: taistella — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Finnish: taistella vastaan — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Finnish: tehdä vastahyökkäys — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • French: contre-attaquer — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Greek: αντεπιτίθεμαι (antepitíthemai) — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Ancient Greek: ἀντεπιτίθεμαι (antepitíthemai) — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Italian: contrattaccare — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Japanese: 巻き返す (makikaesu) — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Occitan: contra-atacar — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Polish: kontratakować — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Portuguese: contra-atacar — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Spanish: contraatacar — to counterattack; to resist an attack
  • Finnish: taistella vastaan — to repress; to struggle to repress
  • Finnish: pidättää — to repress; to struggle to repress
  • Italian: reprimere — to repress; to struggle to repress
  • Polish: powstrzymywać — to repress; to struggle to repress
  • Polish: powstrzymać — to repress; to struggle to repress
  • Finnish: nousta voittoon — sports: to overturn a losing deficit
  • Italian: contrattaccare — sports: to overturn a losing deficit
  • Polish: nadrabiać — sports: to overturn a losing deficit
  • Polish: nadrobić — sports: to overturn a losing deficit