ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fight back

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to resist or defend yourself when someone attacks you or treats you unfairly.

phr. v.. to resist an attack or an opposing force; to take action against a person or group that has caused harm or difficulty.


SIMPLE

If someone hits you, you should fight back.

CONTEXTUAL

The small company decided to fight back against the larger corporation by lowering its prices.

COMPLEX

After years of systemic oppression, the local community began to fight back through organized protests and legal challenges.

Particles
back
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
fight + back
Usage

can be used literally for physical combat or figuratively for social and professional resistance.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'retaliate', which often implies a specific act of revenge, whereas 'fight back' focuses on the act of resistance itself.

Pitfall

They fighted back against the army.They fought back against the army.the verb 'fight' is irregular; the past tense form is 'fought'.

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