backlash

[ bak-lash ]

/ ˈbækˌlæʃ /

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See synonyms for: backlash / backlashed / backlashing on Thesaurus.com

noun

a sudden, forceful backward movement; recoil.

a strong or violent reaction, as to some social or political change: a backlash of angry feeling among Southern conservatives within the party.

Machinery.

the space between the thickness of a gear tooth and the width of the space between teeth in the mating gear, designed to allow for a film of lubricant, binding from heat expansion and eccentricity, or manufacturing inaccuracies.
play or lost motion between loosely fitting machine parts.

Angling. a snarled line on a reel, usually caused by a faulty cast.

verb (used without object)

to make or undergo a backlash.

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Origin of backlash

First recorded in 1805–15; back² + lash¹

Words nearby backlash

backing, backing dog, backing light, backing store, back in harness, backlash, backless, backlight, backlighting, back line , backlins

How to use backlash in a sentence

The backlash to unrest in the ’60s gave the country Richard Nixon, one study found.
Violent protests against police brutality in the ’60s and ’90s changed public opinion|German Lopez|August 28, 2020|Vox
This lack of oversight led to situations like the mask backlash that resulted in all the major exhibitors reversing course to require face coverings.
National Association of Theater Owners announces health and safety protocols as movie theaters reopen|radmarya|August 21, 2020|Fortune
The Catholic Church considered the bloomers worn by female players as inappropriate and women’s basketball faced a backlash.
This Hoops Hotbed Is Set to Take Off|Pallabi Munsi|August 20, 2020|Ozy
That project, known as Renape, faced criticism from within the military and a backlash from the government technicians building it because of its lack of transparency and the threats it posed to freedom and privacy.
Brazil is sliding into techno-authoritarianism|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review

The decision immediately sparked a backlash, as researchers accused the lab of pulling a stunt.
A college kid’s fake, AI-generated blog fooled tens of thousands. This is how he made it.|Karen Hao|August 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
None of these, though, has inspired quite the same backlash as fluoride.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
They know they will face either a swift backlash or deafening silence.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The state was in a deep recession as Duke galvanized a racial backlash.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Facing a political backlash, they reversed course in 2011 and announced that the military commission process would be restarted.
Prosecutors Have No Idea When 9/11 Mastermind’s Trial Will Start|Tim Mak|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Vieira dumped his personal Facebook page a few weeks ago, partly in anticipation of more backlash that will come with the show.
Hunting for a Real-Life Hagrid|Nina Strochlic|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But he was sure of its source; it had not been any backlash of the Red caller!
The Defiant Agents|Andre Alice Norton
Extrapolating Russian history, it would be reasonable to expect a backlash in the form of a counterrevolution.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin
As these unpleasant truths emerge, the bitterness, resentment and disillusionment will grow and a backlash will develop.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin
The backlash of that blast must have caught the majority of the lights also.
Star Hunter|Andre Alice Norton

British Dictionary definitions for backlash

backlash

/ (ˈbækˌlæʃ) /

noun

a reaction or recoil between interacting worn or badly fitting parts in a mechanism

the play between parts

a sudden and adverse reaction, esp to a political or social developmenta public backlash against the government is inevitable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

backlash

Origin of backlash

Words nearby backlash

Words related to backlash

How to use backlash in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for backlash