cry out

phrasal verb

cried out; crying out; cries out
1
: to make a loud sound because of pain, fear, surprise, etc.
She cried out in pain.
2
: to speak in a loud voice : to say something loudly or from a distance
We could hear them on the shore crying out to us, so we waved.
She cried out for help.
3
used to say that something clearly needs or should have a particular thing, person, use, etc.
often + to be
A chair like this cries out to be used, not kept in some museum.
The meal cried out to be eaten with a nice white wine.
often + for
The meal cried out for a nice white wine.
The job cries out for someone who's not afraid to take chances.

Examples of cry out in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The signs were all there, according to some family members who said the boy had been crying out for help for months if not years. Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024 As for the interior, Ferrari cockpits have been crying out for a center touchscreen to ease the maddening operation of steering-wheel controls on some previous models. Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 1 Oct. 2024 But in a time like this, when a crisis hits, when our fellow citizens cry out in need, none of that matters. Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2024 The squad is crying out for a coach who can bring the team to perform beyond the sum of its parts. Alex Tabet, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cry out 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cry out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near cry out

Cite this Entry

“Cry out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry%20out. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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