51Թ

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View synonyms for

backlash

[bak-lash]

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.



verb (used without object)

  1. to make or undergo a backlash.

backlash

/ ˈæˌæʃ /

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

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of backlash1

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

Examples have not been reviewed.

But in Los Angeles there was a public backlash and street protests that sometimes turned violent, prompting him to controversially send in the military to the second largest city in the US.

From

These kidnappings have been targeted in areas run by the president's political opponents and rely on openly confrontational tactics designed to produce a backlash in order to justify militarizing American cities.

From

The sweep was met with swift and furious backlash from community members, who surrounded the scene to protest the enforcement actions.

From

Already the administration's overreach is creating a backlash:

From

Facing backlash from developers and construction lobbyists, those bills never took.

From

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