bite back
Third Person
bites back
Present Participle
biting back
Past Tense
bit back
Past Participle
bitten back
1
to stop oneself from openly expressing true feelings or thoughts
- He managed to bite back his criticism and maintained a calm demeanor.
- It's essential to bite back your anger in professional settings.
- She had to bite back her disagreement and maintain a diplomatic stance.
- It was difficult for her to bite back her frustration in the challenging situation.
2
to respond with something negative or harmful when someone has treated one badly
- The victim chose not to bite back but instead focused on moving forward.
- She believed that kindness was the best way to bite back against hostility.
- After the betrayal, she vowed to bite back in her own way.
- Student protests on campus were a chance for the young generation to bite back at educational policies they deemed unjust.
- The negative reviews online were a chance for dissatisfied customers to bite back at the company.