Fight back

“Fighting back” is an expression we use when a person is facing some type of adversity: it could be an accusation, an attack, criticism, or other type of opposition.

When someone fights back, the person does not passively accept a negative situation but actively taking steps to resist or overcome it.

In a physical fight, that could mean defending yourself physically or going on the attack yourself. More commonly, to “fight back” against criticism is to counter criticism with your own defense or your own criticism at the other side.

In Italy, makers of authentic Parmigiano Reggiano must deal with counterfeiters. The fakes use the Parmigiano Reggiano name, even though they don’t meet the strict standards. So the authentic cheesemakers are fighting back by embedding tiny microchips in the true product. That will help buyers identify fakes in the future.