backlash
a sudden, forceful backward movement; recoil.
a strong or violent reaction, as to some social or political change: a backlash of angry feeling among Southern conservatives within the party.
Machinery.
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.
play or lost motion between loosely fitting machine parts.
Angling. a snarled line on a reel, usually caused by a faulty cast.
to make or undergo a backlash.
Origin of backlash
1Words Nearby backlash
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use backlash in a sentence
The backlash to unrest in the ’60s gave the country Richard Nixon, one study found.
Violent protests against police brutality in the ’60s and ’90s changed public opinion | German Lopez | August 28, 2020 | VoxThis lack of oversight led to situations like the mask backlash that resulted in all the major exhibitors reversing course to require face coverings.
National Association of Theater Owners announces health and safety protocols as movie theaters reopen | radmarya | August 21, 2020 | FortuneThe Catholic Church considered the bloomers worn by female players as inappropriate and women’s basketball faced a backlash.
That project, known as Renape, faced criticism from within the military and a backlash from the government technicians building it because of its lack of transparency and the threats it posed to freedom and privacy.
Brazil is sliding into techno-authoritarianism | Tate Ryan-Mosley | August 19, 2020 | MIT Technology ReviewThe decision immediately sparked a backlash, as researchers accused the lab of pulling a stunt.
A college kid’s fake, AI-generated blog fooled tens of thousands. This is how he made it. | Karen Hao | August 14, 2020 | MIT Technology Review
None of these, though, has inspired quite the same backlash as fluoride.
They know they will face either a swift backlash or deafening silence.
Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers | Stereo Williams | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe state was in a deep recession as Duke galvanized a racial backlash.
Facing a political backlash, they reversed course in 2011 and announced that the military commission process would be restarted.
Prosecutors Have No Idea When 9/11 Mastermind’s Trial Will Start | Tim Mak | December 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTVieira dumped his personal Facebook page a few weeks ago, partly in anticipation of more backlash that will come with the show.
But he was sure of its source; it had not been any backlash of the Red caller!
The Defiant Agents | Andre Alice NortonExtrapolating Russian history, it would be reasonable to expect a backlash in the form of a counterrevolution.
After the Rain | Sam VakninAs these unpleasant truths emerge, the bitterness, resentment and disillusionment will grow and a backlash will develop.
After the Rain | Sam VakninThe backlash of that blast must have caught the majority of the lights also.
Star Hunter | Andre Alice Norton
British Dictionary definitions for backlash
/ (ˈbækˌlæʃ) /
a reaction or recoil between interacting worn or badly fitting parts in a mechanism
the play between parts
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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