fight back

fight back (third-person singular simple present fights back, present participle fighting back, simple past and past participle fought back)

1. (intransitive) to defend oneself by fighting.
2. (intransitive) to counterattack; to resist an attack.
   • 2015 June 9, “Women’s World Cup 2015: England beaten by France in Group F opener”, in The Guardian (London)‎:

     With Scott and the outstanding Claire Rafferty in particular fighting back, all was not lost.

3. (transitive) to repress; to struggle to repress.

   She tried to fight back her laughter.

4. (intransitive, in sports) to overturn a losing deficit.