backlash

American  

[bak-lash] / ˈbækˌlæʃ /

noun

backlashes plural

1. a sudden, forceful backward movement; recoil.

2. a strong or violent reaction, as to some social or political change.

   a backlash of angry feeling among Southern conservatives within the party.

3. Machinery.

   1. 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.

   2. play or lost motion between loosely fitting machine parts.

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

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verb (used without object)

1. to make or undergo a backlash.

backlash British  

/ ˈbækˌlæʃ /

noun

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

2. the play between parts

3. a sudden and adverse reaction, esp to a political or social development

   a public backlash against the government is inevitable

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• backlashes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of backlash

First recorded in 1805–15; back ² + lash ¹

Explanation

When many people react against something in the same way, you can call it a backlash. A backlash against government policies can result in mass protests. When people get angry enough about something — or just tired of hearing about it — the result can be a backlash. An influx of refugees to a city can cause a backlash against immigration, and the popularity of a particular style of music might eventually cause a backlash against it. A true backlash involves many people acting together. The original, 1815 meaning of backlash was "recoil between parts of a machine." It wasn't until the 1950's that the figurative meaning came into use.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

backlash backlashes

Increasing social and political backlash to data-center development could be leading Big Tech companies “to start building sooner to emphasize job creation,” Nowak noted.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

One reminded angry viewers that smoked brisket would cost a comparable amount in a barbecue restaurant, in theory without the backlash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

UniCredit's pursuit of Commerzbank has sparked a fierce backlash in Germany, where Commerzbank is known for financing the country's prized network of small and medium-sized industrial champions.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Some of the backlash is a class dynamic, says Tim Cranston, an area historian.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

Again, racial equality was being forced upon the South by the federal government, and by 1956, Southern white opposition to desegregation mushroomed into a vicious backlash.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Several celebrities or influencers who have ventured into the crypto market have faced similar backlashes.

From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2024

Oligarchs haven’t always been willing to be visible because in history, there have been backlashes against wealth and wealth-power.

From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2024

By starting the exercise while most students were away on winter break, university leaders minimized the raucous backlashes that have bedeviled previous attempts by campus officials to take control of the park.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2024

Yet Redmond has avoided legal fights over light-rail and backlashes to growth that have vexed nearby towns.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 10, 2023

I’ve been thinking about that a lot this week as I’ve been reporting on anti-feminist backlashes.

From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2022

Related Words

• reaction
• repercussion
• resentment
• resistance
• response
• retaliation