bite back
bite back · bites back · bit back · bitten back · biting back
To retaliate; to give a sharp retortTo retaliate; to give a sharp retort.
» Ziri hesitated, biting back his words.
Meaning
2 senses(intransitive)To retaliate; to give a sharp retort.
(transitive)To repress (an emotion or a response).
He bit back his anger and managed a courteous reply.
Examples
4 sentencesZiri hesitated, biting back his words.
If you bite me, I'll bite back.
ruЕсли ты меня укусишь, я укушу тебя в ответ. — Debor
deWenn du mich beißt, dann beiße ich dich zurück. — MUIRIEL
If you bite me, I'll bite you back.
deWenn du mich beißt, dann beiße ich zurück. — Esperantostern
"I don't think she's an opponent you can ignore like that ..." "That's right, they say a cornered rat bites back, don't they?"
Forms
bites back, biting back, bit back, bitten back| Base form | bite back · to bite back |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | bites back |
| Present participle | biting back |
| Past simple | bit back |
| Past participle | bitten back |
irregular · Lesson
Phrasal verbs
4 phrasal verbs- bite offприйняти, прийматиTo bite so hard as to remove something from its source.
- bite inTo corrode metallic plates by means of an acid, as part of an etching process.
- bite downTo bite (something) very hard and usually for a purpose (like to hold it in one's mouth).
- bite backTo retaliate; to give a sharp retort.
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Phrasal verbs: introduction — Because it is a phrasal verb