answer back (to someone)

answer back (to someone)
answer back (to someone) & answer someone back
to talk back (to someone); to argue (with someone). (Fixed phrase.) •

I wish you wouldn't answer back to me that way.

Please don't answer me back like that!

Don't answer back or I'll ground you for a week!


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • answer back — phrasal verb [intransitive/transitive] Word forms answer back : present tense I/you/we/they answer back he/she/it answers back present participle answering back past tense answered back past participle answered back answer someone back to reply… …   English dictionary

  • talk back to someone — talk back (to (someone)) to answer rudely. They were arrested on minor charges after talking back to a police officer. In my family, kids just never talked back. Etymology: based on the literal meaning of talk back (= to answer someone) …   New idioms dictionary

  • answer back — PHRASAL VERB If someone, especially a child, answers back, they speak rudely to you when you speak to them. [V P] She was beaten by teachers for answering back... [V n P] I always answered him back when I thought he was wrong …   English dictionary

  • answer — 1 noun 1 REPLY (C, U) something you say when you reply to a question that someone has asked you: I asked Janine what she thought, but I m still waiting for her answer. | give (sb) an answer: You don t have to give them an answer straight away. |… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • answer — an|swer1 [ ænsər ] verb *** ▸ 1 reply to question, etc. ▸ 2 in a test/competition ▸ 3 explain your behavior ▸ 4 provide what is needed ▸ 5 do something as a reaction ▸ + PHRASES 1. ) intransitive or transitive to give a spoken reply to a question …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • answer — an|swer1 W1S1 [ˈa:nsə US ˈænsər] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(reply)¦ 2¦(test/competition etc)¦ 3¦(invitation/letter etc)¦ 4¦(problem)¦ 5¦(on the phone)¦ 6¦(at the door)¦ 7 have/know all the answers 8 somebody s answer to something ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [: Old English; …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • answer — [[t]ɑ͟ːnsə(r), æ̱n [/t]] ♦ answers, answering, answered 1) VERB When you answer someone who has asked you something, you say something back to them. [V n] I knew Ben was lying when he answered me... [V n] Just answer the question... He paused… …   English dictionary

  • answer */*/*/ — I UK [ˈɑːnsə(r)] / US [ˈænsər] noun Word forms answer : singular answer plural answers 1) a) [countable/uncountable] a spoken reply to a question It was a tough question, but Ginny had her answer ready. answer to: The answer to your question is… …   English dictionary

  • back — back1 backless, adj. /bak/, n. 1. the rear part of the human body, extending from the neck to the lower end of the spine. 2. the part of the body of animals corresponding to the human back. 3. the rear portion of any part of the body: the back of …   Universalium

  • back — I [[t]bæk[/t]] n. 1) anat. zool. the rear part of the human body, from the neck to the end of the spine 2) anat. the part of the body of animals corresponding to the human back 3) the rear portion of any part of the body: the back of the… …   From formal English to slang

  • Back to Methuselah — (A Metabiological Pentateuch), by George Bernard Shaw consists of a preface (An Infidel Half Century) and a series of five plays: In the Beginning: B.C. 4004 (In the Garden of Eden), The Gospel of the Brothers Barnabas: Present Day, The Thing… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”