fights back

VERB

defend oneself

Synonyms

WEAK

beat off bottle up check contain control curb fend off hold at bay hold back keep at bay oppose put up fight repel reply repress repulse resist restrain retaliate stave off ward off

Antonyms

WEAK

give in give up surrender yield

VERB

defend

Synonyms

STRONGEST

resist retaliate

WEAK

beat off bottle up check contain control curb fight off hold back oppose repel reply repress repulse restrain stave off ward off

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Three months after state vets seized and killed hundreds of his sheep to stamp out an ongoing pox pandemic, Kostas Theofilou fights back tears as he gazes at his empty stable.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

The spreadsheet eventually fights back, and the spreadsheet always wins.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

And as Germans, because of our history, we have a democracy that fights back, that can defend itself.

From Slate • Nov. 19, 2025

She fights back by not being “what people expect. Why should I live up to other people's expectations instead of my own?”

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2024

And we see it come out of the water, curling, as it fights back.

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt