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to bite back
[phrase form: bite]
01
to stop oneself from openly expressing true feelings or thoughts
Grammatical Information
Composition
phrasal
action verb
regular
inseparable
particle
back
base verb
bite
present tense
bite back
3rd person singular
bites back
present participle
biting back
past simple
bit back
past participle
bitten back
Examples
He managed to bite back his criticism and maintained a calm demeanor.
02
to respond with something negative or harmful when someone has treated one badly
Examples
The victim chose not to bite back but instead focused on moving forward.
