argue back

argue back

To respond angrily or rudely at an inappropriate or unwelcome time. Don't argue back to me, young lady. Your students don't respect you, that's why they always argue back when you try to discipline them.
See also: argue, back
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

argue back

to argue with or oppose someone; to answer back (to someone); to talk back (to someone). (Usually said of persons who are supposed to listen and obey without comment.) Please don't argue back all the time. I wish you children did not argue back so much.
See also: argue, back
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • answer back to (one)
  • all in (one's) head
  • don't get me wrong
  • don't beat a dead horse
  • don't bet on it
  • come it
  • come it (with one)
  • (I) won't tell a soul
  • don't go there
References in classic literature
He will then argue back that it is we, mistaken ones, that have killed her by our ideas, and so he will be much unhappy always.
On the rare occasion when she did try to argue back, he would verbally and physically assault her and hit her around the arms and legs.
She did not i argue back. I said, 'Stop being so nice'.
"We've got to argue back against people who say that aid is unproductive, aid is wasteful, aid is money going to the wrong people, aid is somehow inefficient, when all the evidence is that aid is well used and even more necessary if we're going to deal with fundamental problems that no decent citizen in Britain would tolerate if they saw what was happening first-hand." He described Christian Aid as a "great British national institution", recalling as a child being sent by his mother to distribute the charity's red collection envelopes.
"From a Russian or Chinese perspective, even if our system is really only intended to counter North Korea or Iran, they may look at it and say, 'Hey, it could be [used] against some of our missiles.' And then we would argue back and say, 'Oh, but it would not be able to intercept the vast majority of your missiles.' And both sides would have a point," said Todd Harrison, director of the aerospace security project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Even when being dressed down by his seniors, he did not argue back but instead always sought ways to improve himself.
"Thirty minutes later I went for a cigarette and the same bloke was out there and started being rude to me again so I began to argue back.
She continued: "The same bloke was out there and started being rude to me again so I began to argue back.
Cocktails on the patio soon turned into a bumper deal for the veteran talent-spotter - and in fairness nobody could argue back then.
'Our market depends on the mouths of brokers, and we have no points to argue back.'
"I much prefer working in an outside environment with greyhounds; they're always happy to see you and cannot argue back.
When Mrs Thatcher tried to argue back, Sir Geoffrey and Mr Leigh-Pemberton weighed in in support of joining while Lord Whitelaw said he was prepared to trust the judgment of the Chancellor and the governor.
The excuse that he wants to avoid 'blue on blue' battles between senior Conservatives does not wash because he is quite happy to attack his cabinet colleagues when they are not around to argue back. Also, very telling is the pronounced difference between typical Cameron/Osborne campaign events and those of Boris Johnson.
While Israelis argue back and forth on methods for putting a stop to the Palestinian violence, its level keeps on rising.On Wednesday, a Palestinian car with guns poking out of its windows rampaged in the middle of the day through the streets of Jerusalem in search of victims.
Before the anti-Europeans argue back that we are in fact giving up our autonomy to a super state, I haven't noticed this happening.