fight fire with fire
To respond to an attack with a similar or identical counter-attack (e.g. to respond to gunfire with reciprocal gunfire).
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“If they are rude to you, do not fight fire with fire.”
“You should not fight fire with fire when your neighbor plays loud music.”
“The company decided to fight fire with fire by launching an aggressive advertising campaign against their main competitor.”
“When the opposing team started playing very aggressively, our coach told us to fight fire with fire and increase our physical pressure on the field.”
“Rather than seeking a diplomatic resolution, the nation chose to fight fire with fire, responding to the trade sanctions with equally severe tariffs.”
The idiom arises from two distinct tactical necessities. It is attributed either to the practice of igniting controlled back-burns to deprive an approaching wildfire of fuel, or to the exchange of gunfire, wherein an enemy's discharge is answered with a volley of one's own. Both origins describe the application of a hazardous force to neutralise an identical threat.
- 01
add fuel to the fire
To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
- 02
ball of fire
A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.
- 03
bun fight
A debate or disagreement, usually with several parties involved, often political in nature.
- 04
catch fire
To become engulfed in flames, to combust.
- 05
draw fire
To create a distraction that allows one's friends, co-workers, or other associates to gain an advantage over the distracted party.
- 06
escape fire
An unconventional or counterintuitive solution to a difficult problem.
- 07
feed the fire
Synonym of add fuel to the fire.
- 08
fight a losing battle
To attempt a task or other endeavor in which there is no chance that it will succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026