cry out
phrasal verb
cried out; crying out; cries out
1
: to make a loud sound because of pain, fear, surprise, etc.
She cried out in pain.
2
: to speak in a loud voice : to say something loudly or from a distance
We could hear them on the shore crying out to us, so we waved.
She cried out for help.
3
—used to say that something clearly needs or should have a particular thing, person, use, etc. —often + to be
A chair like this cries out to be used, not kept in some museum.
The meal cried out to be eaten with a nice white wine.
—often + forThe meal cried out for a nice white wine.
The job cries out for someone who's not afraid to take chances.
Examples of cry out in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His seeming inability to acknowledge this keeps him from reaching the conclusion and call to action that his book cries out for.
—
Seth Mnookin, The Atlantic, 31 July 2024
For now, some of the biggest players in AI are crying out for at least some direction from legislators and policymakers, as companies stake out their places in the new AI world.
—Scott Cohn, CNBC, 12 July 2024
The album’s title track starts slow, with a guitar squeaking quietly as Moctar cries out the title as the first lyrics, his voice bending with a soft, twinkling percussion.
—Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
In our opinion, this is a job that cries out for Kelly Madigan, the veteran prosecutor who has served as Baltimore County’s inspector general since the post was created four years ago.
—Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cry out 
Seth Mnookin, The Atlantic, 31 July 2024
For now, some of the biggest players in AI are crying out for at least some direction from legislators and policymakers, as companies stake out their places in the new AI world.
—Scott Cohn, CNBC, 12 July 2024
The album’s title track starts slow, with a guitar squeaking quietly as Moctar cries out the title as the first lyrics, his voice bending with a soft, twinkling percussion.
—Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 19 June 2024
In our opinion, this is a job that cries out for Kelly Madigan, the veteran prosecutor who has served as Baltimore County’s inspector general since the post was created four years ago.
—Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 2 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cry out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cry out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cry out
Cite this Entry
“Cry out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry%20out. Accessed 10 Sep. 2024.
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