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Showing results for lash out. Search instead for lash+out.
Synonyms

lash out

British  

verb

  1. to burst into or resort to verbal or physical attack

  2. informal to be extravagant, as in spending

"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
lash out Idioms  

  1. Make a sudden blow or fierce verbal attack. For example, The mule lashed out with its hind legs, or After listening to Dad's criticism of his driving, Arthur lashed out at him. [Second half of 1500s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When powerful industries "lash out like this", Ahmed said, "it is the sound of a system under pressure."

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

"When Henry's dysregulated... he will lash out and he's not in control," she said.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025

Rather than learn and grow, Musk wants to lash out at those who remind him of his own worthlessness.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2024

Furious customers have even turned to Yelp, typically where you go to gripe about a soggy taco or brusque waiter, to lash out at the airline, which currently sits at 1.4 stars out of 5.

From Slate • Oct. 15, 2024

This kid was getting brainwashed—trained to hate the gods and lash out because he’d been born half Olympian.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.