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
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The director requested anonymity for themself and the district out of concern about potential blowback. Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025 But Democrats, who faced blowback in March for providing the votes necessary to keep the government open, say now is the time to fight for health care priorities. Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025 Welsh, a former Air Force pilot and Joint Chiefs of Staff member, has received blowback from Republican lawmakers in recent days over a viral video in which a student challenged a professor, Melissa McCoul, regarding gender content in a children’s literature course. Filip Timotija, The Hill, 19 Sep. 2025 If anything, this saga underscores how little certainty there is in a media ecosystem chilled by the mention (and implicit threat) of regulatory blowback. Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for blowback

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blowback was in 1954

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Cite this Entry

“Blowback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blowback. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.

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