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

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Etymology

Origin of backlash

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

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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

In the Cornell backlash, he blamed "people who felt that the status quo was being threatened, people who didn't like the idea of women being treated equally, people who wanted to shut up women."

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

The backlash caused the ride-hailing company to rescind the requirement.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

Despite political backlash and past weather delays, the massive wildlife bridge over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills is racing toward a Dec. 2 opening.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Activists, many of them associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, mounted a backlash to psychiatry as an instrument of social control.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

She’d expected some backlash; it happened every time she shared her strength.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

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

From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2024

There have been counterforces and backlashes and overcorrections, and then forward motion again—usually when the public is convinced that a change is only fair.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 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

Some South Korean celebrities like singers Harisu and Ha:tfelt have been speaking out on touchy subjects such as the anti-discrimination law and feminism, despite backlashes.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2022

One way to think about those backlashes is as an emotional response to loss of status.

From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2022

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Related Words

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

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