Meaning & use
fire back
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Meanings
verbintransitiveinformal
To reply quickly and forcefully, especially in an argument or when criticized.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'at someone' or 'with something': She fired back at the reporter.
Patterns
- fire back at someone
- fire back with something
- fire back that …
When the coach criticized the team, the captain fired back at him in the press conference.
She fired back with a sharp reply before he could finish his sentence.
The company fired back at critics, saying the claims were false.
verbintransitive
To shoot a gun in return after being shot at.
Grammar: No object; used about soldiers or attackers returning gunfire.
Patterns
- fire back at someone
- fire back on someone
The soldiers fired back at the enemy across the valley.
Police said the suspect fired back before escaping.
Word forms
| third person singular | fires back |
|---|---|
| past tense | fired back |
| past participle | fired back |
| -ing form | firing back |
Common combinations
- fire back at someone
- The senator fired back at her opponent during the debate.
- fire back with a statement
- The company fired back with a statement denying the accusations.
- quick to fire back
- He is always quick to fire back when someone criticizes him.
- fire back immediately
- She fired back immediately, refusing to accept the blame.
Synonyms and how they differ
- retort
- More formal and slightly literary; it means answering sharply, but it doesn't carry the image of shooting.
- snap back
- Also informal and means replying angrily, but it suggests a shorter, ruder answer than 'fire back'.
- respond
- Neutral and much less forceful; use it when you simply mean giving an answer, not fighting back.
Opposites
Word family
- fireback noun
- A metal plate that protects the back wall of a fireplace.
Commonly confused: fire back or fireback?
fire back vs fireback
As one word, 'fireback' is a noun for a fireplace plate; as two words, 'fire back' is the phrasal verb meaning to reply forcefully.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fire back' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Fire back' is intransitive and is followed by 'at someone' or 'with something', so 'fired back at the reporter' fits. The other options wrongly give it a direct object, which this phrasal verb does not take.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fire back”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.