Definition of BACKWASH

Examples of backwash in a Sentence

a general recession was the backwash of the crisis in the housing market

Recent Examples on the Web

Phoenix Fire Department officials say the woman was treated for dizziness and nausea but suffered no other ill effects when the stretcher spun ever-faster in the backwash of the helicopter's rotor blades. — orlandosentinel.com, "Watch: Helicopter rescue goes awry as 74-year-old hiker spins out of control underneath," 6 June 2019 This backwash can irritate the lining of your esophagus and cause symptoms like heartburn, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, feeling like there’s a lump in your throat, a chronic cough, laryngitis, and disrupted sleep. — Korin Miller, SELF, "6 Gastrointestinal Issues That Can Affect You During Pregnancy," 14 Dec. 2018 Much of this might seem the amusing backwash of a raucous democracy, but competing claims of patriotism are helping wedge America apart. — Doug Struck, The Christian Science Monitor, "As Americans celebrate Independence Day, what does it mean to be a patriot?," 2 July 2018 Behind these high water marks are remnants of backwash channels carved by the retreating water. — William Herkewitz, Popular Mechanics, "There Were Mega-Tsunamis on Mars," 19 May 2016 This backwash is called acid reflux or even simply just reflux. — Korin Miller, SELF, "9 Causes of That Random Chest Pain," 26 Apr. 2018 That began to change in the backwash of Trump’s election. — Bob Moser, New Republic, "How YouTube Became the Worldwide Leader in White Supremacy," 21 Aug. 2017 The rocks could also cause a high-tide backwash, Wilson said. — Laylan Connelly, Orange County Register, "San Onofre surf beach closed for road repairs," 17 Apr. 2017 The 21-year-old Florence was participating in a 440-yard ocean-swimming race, but had been blinded by waves and backwash churned up by several passing motorboats. — John Kelly, Washington Post, "Answer Man learns to swim with Florence Skadding, the 1920s ‘Washington Mermaid’," 17 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'backwash.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.