answering back
Giving lip rudely
Answering back is replying defiantly or rudely to someone in authority—a child to a parent, a student to a teacher, an employee to a boss.
The phrase implies insubordination: Don't answer back to your mother.
The "back" suggests returning words when silence or compliance was expected.
- retortQuick, cutting reply
- sassinessImpertinent boldness of manner
- responseAnswer to stimulus
- comebackRecovery after decline
- challengeTest of ability
impudence · contradict · rebuke · rejoinder · insolence · defiance · disrespect · smart mouth · repartee · sharp tongue · refute · cheek · reply · lip · mouthing off · rebuttal · indignation · assertiveness
answering backobedience
Compliance with authority
compliance · submission · acquiescence · deference · biting one's tongue
answering backsilence
Total lack of sound
quiet · saying nothing · muteness · not responding · keeping mum
answer, answering, answers, answered, answerable, unanswerable, unanswered, back, backs