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

The 2023 film Adipurush, another big-budget retelling of Ramayana, sparked backlash on several fronts.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Most of the spending the Biden administration undertook was related to COVID, including financial assistance for households affected by the pandemic, which I don’t recall provoked much backlash.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

King expected a backlash, but he wasn’t prepared for the storm of criticism that came at him from all directions.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

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

Egyptian women have faced public backlashes as well.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 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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