bite back

bite back

1. To stop oneself from saying something that is potentially inappropriate, hurtful, or offensive. I had to bite back a snarky comment as my sister gushed about her new boyfriend.
2. To retaliate against a verbal attack. I wouldn't talk badly about Tiffany, if I were you—she bites back. I mean, you heard the vicious rumor she started about the girl who stole her boyfriend!
3. To retaliate by biting, as by an animal. The dog lunged at the cat, and the cat bit back.
See also: back, bite
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

bite back

 (at someone or something)
1. Lit. to defend an attack by biting at someone or something. (Usually an animal.) I threatened the dog and the dog bit back.
2. Fig. to fight back at someone; to return someone's anger or attack; to speak back to someone with anger. She is usually tolerant, but she will bite back if pressed. Yes, she will bite back.
See also: back, bite
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • leave (someone, something, or oneself) (wide) open to (something)
  • leave open
  • leave yourself wide open to something
  • kick (oneself) for (doing something)
  • selfie
  • keep (someone or something) in sight
  • keep in sight
  • keep sight of
  • keep sight of (someone or something)
  • keep sight of somebody/something
References in periodicals archive
The rhizomatic structure of The Tropics Bite Back is very much indebted to Edouard Glissant, whose theoretical frameworks were center-stage in Loichot's previous monograph, Orphan Narratives: The Postplantation Literature of Faulkner, Glissant, Morrison, and Saint-John Perse (2007).
Loichot, Valerie. 2013. The Tropics Bite Back: Culinary Coups in Caribbean Literature
The new guidelines, which will see more offenders face jail sentences than before, are a boost the ECHO's Bite Back drive for tougher controls on dangerous dogs.
COURTS TOUGH ON DEVIL DOGS; Heftier sentences for owners of dangerous dogs
As Dean Kuipers, author of Operation Bite Back: Rod Coronado's War to Save American Wilderness, recently told CounterPunch, "This action got a lot of accolades because it was a model of nonviolence."
Operation Bite Back: Rod Coronado's War to Save American Wilderness
"Hull can bite back, they have done very well so I wouldn't like to say that it's going to be easy.
Davies is wary of wounded Tigers; VILLA NEWS
He said: "We're favourites, but Glasgow can bite back.
Tigers will bite back, warns Del; SPEEDWAY
Enter Girls Who Bite Back, armed to the teeth with 332 pages of analysis and heroism how-to's.
Girls Who Bite Back: Witches, Mutants, Slayers and Freaks
Let her lay it on you, but don't bite back. You don't want to kick off a cut-down session.
My BFF bugs me!: BFF has a habit that plucks your every last nerve? Should you speak now or forever hold your peace? (GL Friends)
Emma Peacock, of Oxfam, said: "By getting involved with Give it up for Ghana we will be helping cocoa farmers to bite back."
Appeal for kids to back charity event
Tenner found enough to fill the 346 pages of Why Things Bite Back with anecdote after anecdote illustrating technology's "revenge effects," or the ironic, unintended consequences of technological ingenuity.
Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences
He said: "Three crocodiles latched on and performed a death roll, but it tried to bite back. It gave its all to survive.
Zebra stripes back
A TALENTED musician has joined forces with Christian Aid this Spring to Bite Back at Hunger.
Gigs highlighting famine fight
blackpool 1 wigan 3 IAN HOLLOWAY wants his Blackpool dogs of war to get their bite back and come out snarling to beat the drop.
Barks to the wall
We can't keep plundering the planet and treating fellow animals with disrespect, because sooner rather than later they're going to bite back - and bite back hard!
What evidence? yourLETTERS
"Rangers have their bite back under Walter and Ally but if we play our game we can get a result."
Football: Gers have their bite back; PREMIER LEAGUE
DENNIS WISE is probably just the man Leeds need to put a bit of pride back in the jersey and a bit of bite back in the team - but is he really going to bring back this once mighty team to the big time?
Football: A WISE MOVE? ..MMM; THE BOOKIE WHO REALLY HAS THE POWER