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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

He fights back tears when discussing the devastation from the fire in Pacific Palisades and how much the community means to his family.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2025

Mean-spirited and restless, I fight constantly with Chou, who is older and more timid than I, and she only fights back with words.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung