backlash

American  

[bak-lash] / ˈbækˌlæʃ /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of backlash

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

Example Sentences

He noted that since publishing his post, he had faced backlash, adding that it "seems many of them are from sources you cannot detect".

From BBC

A Pokémon card game event at a shrine honouring Japan's war dead has been cancelled following a backlash in China.

From BBC

In 2022 he threatened to invade neighbouring Kenya, triggering a backlash from Kenyans who trolled him for his "reckless" comments.

From BBC

The sale has been met with intense backlash online from locals in the surrounding areas.

From BBC

Part of the reason for this shift, people in the industry say, is the public backlash against private equity’s role in medicine, and recent government scrutiny of it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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