hit back
(transitive, slang, AAVE) To return a missed phone call with (someone).
Seen in the wild
"Pope Leo has hit back at Donald Trump over his baseless claim that the pontiff is “endangering Catholics” by supporting Iran’s nuclear programme."
COTU Slams Gachagua, Rubbishes Proposal to Form Parallel Trade Union https://www.europesays.com/africa/221320/ The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua…
Ubisoft has hit back at claims made online about it's upcoming Assassin's Creed Invictus project #AssassinsCreed #AC #AssassinsCreedInvictus #Ubisoft #Gaming
"The SPLC hit back at Blanche’s claim with a motion to retract his false statement, and refrain from making any others like it." newrepublic.com/post/209992/...
Trump Wants the World to Know He Cares. So Much. So, So Much • The president touted 'Project Freedom' as a push to free up the Strait of Hormuz as a 'favor' to the world… only to pause it. Plus, Democrats Abdul El-Say…
Definitions
(transitive, slang, AAVE) To return a missed phone call with (someone).
“"Pope Leo has hit back at Donald Trump over his baseless claim that the pontiff is “endangering Catholics” by supporting Iran’s nuclear programme."”
— Bluesky· May 2026“COTU Slams Gachagua, Rubbishes Proposal to Form Parallel Trade Union https://www.europesays.com/africa/221320/ The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) has hit back at former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his…”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Ubisoft has hit back at claims made online about it's upcoming Assassin's Creed Invictus project #AssassinsCreed #AC #AssassinsCreedInvictus #Ubisoft #Gaming”
— Bluesky· May 2026“"The SPLC hit back at Blanche’s claim with a motion to retract his false statement, and refrain from making any others like it." newrepublic.com/post/209992/...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Trump Wants the World to Know He Cares. So Much. So, So Much • The president touted 'Project Freedom' as a push to free up the Strait of Hormuz as a 'favor' to the world… only to pause it. Plus, Democrats Abdul El-Sayed and Graham Platner hit back at AIPAC.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(intransitive) To retaliate.
““A deal is a deal”: Macron and von der Leyen hit back as Trump threatens 25% “destabilization” tariffs on EU cars https://www.europesays.com/people/58322/ 3 min readBrusselsMay 5, 2026 10:33 PM IST Europe and the United States have more important things to…”
Hit back means: To retaliate.. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than risky behaviour. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
hit back means: To retaliate.. Register: neutral, standard English. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself. A formal-English equivalent (a synonym or descriptive phrase) is usually safer in writing. When in doubt, paraphrase rather than reuse the slang form.
““A deal is a deal”: Macron and von der Leyen hit back as Trump threatens 25% “destabilization” tariffs on EU cars https://www.europesays.com/people/58322/ 3 min readBrusselsMay 5, 2026 10:33 PM IST Europe and the United States have more important things to…”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Me, I just popped the video up to full screen, stopped it at the explosion, then hit back and forth on the frames with a mouse.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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