Clapback
Etymology
From “clap back,” rooted in African American Vernacular English and hip-hop, where to clap back was to answer a diss in kind. The noun spread through Black Twitter and celebrity-response culture in the 2010s, when public figures’ replies to critics became news in themselves.
noun · /KLAP-bak/
A sharp, witty retort delivered in response to criticism, an insult, or a slight.
What it names
It names the counterpunch as a distinct form: not just any reply, but one calibrated to turn an attack back on its sender with more style than heat. The satisfaction lies in the reversal — the target refuses to absorb the hit and returns it sharpened.
Example
A troll mocked her outfit and her one-line clapback got more likes than the insult.
Related idea
Sharper and more personal than a comeback, which is any effective reply; a clapback specifically answers hostility with retaliation.