1 B1 neutral
To fire weapons in return at someone who is shooting at you
"The soldiers took cover behind the wall and shot back at the advancing troops."
shoot back
B1 informal transitive/intransitive
To fire back at an attacker, or to reply quickly and sharply
In plain English
To shoot at someone who is shooting at you, or to say something quickly in reply
What does "shoot back" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To respond quickly and sharply to a question, accusation, or remark
"'That's none of your business,' she shot back, before turning and walking away."
3 B2 neutral
To move rapidly back to a position or place
"The elastic band shot back and stung his wrist."
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To shoot in the opposite direction, back toward the source of incoming fire
Actually means
To shoot at someone who is shooting at you, or to say something quickly in reply
Usage tip
In the literal sense, used in military, police, or action contexts. In the figurative sense, common in everyday speech when someone replies quickly or wittily. The figurative sense often implies the reply is sharp, clever, or defensive.
Words that pair with "shoot back"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
reply respond answer question insult fire
How to conjugate "shoot back"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
shoot back
I/you/we/they
3rd person
shoots back
he/she/it
Past simple
shooted back
yesterday
Past participle
shooted back
have + pp
-ing form
shooting back
continuous
Hear "shoot back" in the wild
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