: an unforeseen and unwanted effect, result, or set of repercussions
Examples of blowback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kramer asked Torres pointedly whether the apology was rooted in the blowback or an acknowledgment of the harm that was done.
—
Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
After blowback from investors, including Microsoft, OpenAI’s board seemed open to having Altman return to lead the company.
—Will Knight, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
The blowback over Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X gathered steam on Friday, as several major advertisers on his social media platform cut off their spending after his comments.
—Tiffany Hsu, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
That proposal generated intense blowback from addiction treatment advocates and Democratic lawmakers, as well as provider groups like the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 2 Nov. 2023
Likewise, Harvard’s new president faced serious blowback from several prominent faculty members, such as Larry Summers and Jason Furman, for her initial silence before finally releasing a strong statement days afterward.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2023
Although the blunders have drawn a lot of attention, many entertainers have found ways to speak out with minimal blowback.
—Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Lo and behold, when Genesis was caught in the FTX blowback in November 2022 and forced to file for bankruptcy two months later, Gemini Earn customers lost access to about $900 million of their money.
—WIRED, 19 Oct. 2023
But the intensity of the attacks carried a bit of unexpected blowback: The strikes helped galvanize Western partners to shore up Ukraine’s air defenses.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
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Ovetta Wiggins, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2023
After blowback from investors, including Microsoft, OpenAI’s board seemed open to having Altman return to lead the company.
—Will Knight, WIRED, 20 Nov. 2023
The blowback over Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X gathered steam on Friday, as several major advertisers on his social media platform cut off their spending after his comments.
—Tiffany Hsu, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
That proposal generated intense blowback from addiction treatment advocates and Democratic lawmakers, as well as provider groups like the American Society of Addiction Medicine.
—Lev Facher, STAT, 2 Nov. 2023
Likewise, Harvard’s new president faced serious blowback from several prominent faculty members, such as Larry Summers and Jason Furman, for her initial silence before finally releasing a strong statement days afterward.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2023
Although the blunders have drawn a lot of attention, many entertainers have found ways to speak out with minimal blowback.
—Samantha Chery, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Lo and behold, when Genesis was caught in the FTX blowback in November 2022 and forced to file for bankruptcy two months later, Gemini Earn customers lost access to about $900 million of their money.
—WIRED, 19 Oct. 2023
But the intensity of the attacks carried a bit of unexpected blowback: The strikes helped galvanize Western partners to shore up Ukraine’s air defenses.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blowback.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1954, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Blowback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blowback. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on blowback
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for blowback
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