birth pang
noun
1
: one of the regularly recurrent pains that are characteristic of childbirth
—usually used in plural
2
birth pangs plural
: disorder and distress incident especially to a major social change
Examples of birth pang in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The new Germany couldn’t tell its birth pangs from its death rattles.
—
Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024
Such monstrosities, we were told, were merely the birth pangs of a new and mostly peaceful nation.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
And the Affordable Care Act, for all of its birth pangs and flaws and the Republican efforts to repeal it, remains the law of the land.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
But for Chollet, as for Obama, this apparent defect is actually a strength, and the current world disorder is less the result of flawed U.S. strategies than the birth pangs of a new and better order.
—Derek Chollet, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2016
His knack for conveying compositional struggle ingeniously reflects his theme — a nation’s birth pangs.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 2 Sep. 2024
Such monstrosities, we were told, were merely the birth pangs of a new and mostly peaceful nation.
—Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
And the Affordable Care Act, for all of its birth pangs and flaws and the Republican efforts to repeal it, remains the law of the land.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
But for Chollet, as for Obama, this apparent defect is actually a strength, and the current world disorder is less the result of flawed U.S. strategies than the birth pangs of a new and better order.
—Derek Chollet, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2016
His knack for conveying compositional struggle ingeniously reflects his theme — a nation’s birth pangs.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Birth pang.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birth%20pang. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share