cry for

1. Also, cry out for; have a crying need for. Be in urgent need of, as in This wall cries for a second coat of paint, or This car is crying out for a good washing, or There is a crying need for order in this house. The figurative use of cry for, literally meaning “implore” or “weep for,” dates from the late 1500s, as does the use of crying for “demanding attention.” The first variant, alluding to actually shouting out one's needs or desires, dates from the second half of the 1800s.

Example Sentences

The senator had long telegraphed, even before it became Democrats’ rallying cry for the length of the shutdown, that health care subsidies were his red line.

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Michael wondered if she was crying for Ridge, Mr. Mosley, or both.

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"It's possible Rachel Reeves' surprise press conference on Tuesday was partly a cry for help to the Bank of England," AJ Bell's Ms Hewson said.

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Proposition 50 was a risk for Newsom, but it immediately became a rallying cry for Democrats looking for a way to fight back.

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Do not cry for Kelly, he can sleep gently on a thick mattress of $100 bills.

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Related Words

• ask 
• beseech 
• recite 
• urge