blowback

noun

blow·​back ˈblō-ˌbak How to pronounce blowback (audio)
: an unforeseen and unwanted effect, result, or set of repercussions

Examples of blowback in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The blowback was immediate: The decision kicked off a frenzy among patients and doctors grappling with its implications for people attempting to conceive, often after years of struggling to have children or other complications in family planning. Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 But documentarians, at least, seem to be somewhat cushioned from blowback. Jada Yuan, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024 The blowback from Washington cost General Kondratiuk his job. Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2024 With around 160 works spanning media and genres, the exhibition promises to be a far cry from the Met’s last attempt to explore the Harlem Renaissance, a 1969 show with ethnographic-style dioramas and a near-total omission of Black artists, which drew a cyclone of blowback. Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 Rather than offend users, critics argue, platforms may choose to block whole categories of discussion — around topics like race — to avoid legal blowback. Lauren Feiner, The Verge, 23 Feb. 2024 Pulley benefited when the category leader, Carta, suffered blowback for sharing sensitive information about startups’ cap tables with secondary market investors. Rina Torchinsky, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 That’s the question executives at online marketplace Temu are likely asking themselves following the blowback of their advertising blitz at the Super Bowl last weekend. Drew Bernstein, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 While Giz’s thunderous voice and gift for capitalizing on the visual appeal of his suits have gained him an audience, the blowback from his community has hit him personally. Millan Verma, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2024

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of blowback was in 1954

Dictionary Entries Near blowback

Cite this Entry

“Blowback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blowback. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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