shoot back

English

Verb

shoot back (third-person singular simple present shoots back, present participle shooting back, simple past and past participle shot back)

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see shoot,‎ back.
2. To give an abrupt response or retort.
   • 2009 July/August, Jacob Levenson, “Why John Lennon Matters”, in Columbia Journalism Review‎^[1], archived from the original on 2017-05-20:

     My dad shot back that he never understood why The Beatles were considered great artists.

   • 2011 August 19, “We're number one at cricket, David Cameron tells Obama”, in BBC News‎^[2], archived from the original on 2023-02-03:

     The US president shot back that England had invented the game and it was like saying America was good at baseball.

   • 2014 December 8, Lyse Doucet, “The brave women fighting for Afghanistan's future”, in BBC News‎^[3], archived from the original on 2022-12-06:

     "Do you think a girl in Afghanistan can now do what she wants?" I ask this poised teenager, expecting another burst of youthful enthusiasm. "Oh no, absolutely not," she shoots back, without a moment's hesitation.