answer back
1 of 1verb/ˈænsər bæk/
Forms:answers back,answering back,answered back,answered back
1
to respond to a person in authority, such as a parent or teacher, in a manner that is impolite or disrespectful
- The student was reprimanded for answering back to the teacher when asked to do their homework.
- It's important for children to learn not to answer back to their parents when given instructions.
- The employee was warned about answering back to their supervisor during a meeting.
- She was known for her habit of answering back to her boss, which caused workplace tension.
- His tendency to answer back to his coach led to his suspension from the team.
2
to respond to a question after some time of thinking or delay
- I need more time to think about your proposal; I'll answer back tomorrow with my decision.
- He didn't want to rush his response, so he decided to answer back to the job offer next week.
- The committee will meet and discuss the matter before answering back to your request.
- She needed to research the topic before answering back to the journalist's interview questions.
- Instead of answering back immediately, he wanted to gather more information to provide a thorough response.