fight back
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fight (one's) way back to (something or some place)
1. To struggle or use force to return to some place, position, or thing. The party was so packed with people that I had to fight my way back to where my friends were talking. We had to fight our way through the crowd to board the train on time.
2. To struggle to return to some condition or state. The political candidate will have to fight her way back to the top of the polls. After a devastating civil war, the country has to fight its way back to a position of stability and prosperity.
fight back
To act in one's self-defense, either verbally or physically. If that bully confronts you again, you need to fight back. They were tearing my story to shreds—I had to fight back!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
fight back (at someone or something)
to defend oneself against someone or something; to retaliate against someone or something. You are going to have to fight back at them. You can't expect us to defend you. It's hard for me to fight back against three of them by myself.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.