fired back; firing back; fires back
: to answer someone quickly and usually angrily
—often used with at
After his statement, his opponents fired back.
She fired back at her critics.
: to utter as a quick and angry response
He fired back a comparable insult …—
Drew T. Brown III
Drew T. Brown III
Examples of fireback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025 There’s also a cast iron fireback in the fireplace in the living room. —Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2022
Peter D'abrosca , Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026 Cyndi Lauper didn’t hold back when a heckler interrupted her opening night in Las Vegas, firing back mid-show with an expletive-laced response that quickly drew cheers from the crowd. —Kennedy French, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026 The Maryland Department of the Environment fired back, arguing that auditors asked for more than the law currently requires. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2026 But in the midst of the Texas redistricting, Democrats in California fired back by successfully referring to the 2025 ballot a new map giving Democrats five potentially favorable seats -- and the map passed with over 60% of the vote. —Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026 Shiffrin kept firing back answers on another sparkling Cortina morning that was cold enough to keep the snow dry and hard. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026 The two did a nice job portraying teenagers who go back and forth from sincere to ridiculously immature, but the best part was their horror when Jost fired back. —Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026 The officers then fired back at the suspect, shooting him once in the shoulder. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026 Iran has been firing back in retaliation against Israel, and neighboring countries in the Gulf. —Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The head was followed by bright yellowish-orange tail feathers, easily identifiable as the fireback. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2025 There’s also a cast iron fireback in the fireplace in the living room. —Joanne Kempinger Demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 26 May 2022
Verb
Agents fired back at Allen, who was not struck. —Peter D'abrosca , Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026 Cyndi Lauper didn’t hold back when a heckler interrupted her opening night in Las Vegas, firing back mid-show with an expletive-laced response that quickly drew cheers from the crowd. —Kennedy French, Variety, 25 Apr. 2026 The Maryland Department of the Environment fired back, arguing that auditors asked for more than the law currently requires. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2026 But in the midst of the Texas redistricting, Democrats in California fired back by successfully referring to the 2025 ballot a new map giving Democrats five potentially favorable seats -- and the map passed with over 60% of the vote. —Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026 Shiffrin kept firing back answers on another sparkling Cortina morning that was cold enough to keep the snow dry and hard. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026 The two did a nice job portraying teenagers who go back and forth from sincere to ridiculously immature, but the best part was their horror when Jost fired back. —Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026 The officers then fired back at the suspect, shooting him once in the shoulder. —Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026 Iran has been firing back in retaliation against Israel, and neighboring countries in the Gulf. —Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fireback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/fireback. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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