# fight fire with fire

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/fight-fire-with-fire
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To respond to an attack with a similar or identical counter-attack (e.g. to respond to gunfire with reciprocal gunfire).

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.