as in reaction
a strong public response against something
There was swift backlash to the senator's controversial comments.
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Recent Examples of backlash
Other viral videos of the overcrowded streets sparked backlash among Italian social media users.
—
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
On the 550th Sporticast episode, hosts Eben Novy-Williams and Jacob Feldman are joined by colleague Lev Akabas to discuss a number of current sports business topics, including the backlash to Duke’s new basketball streaming deal with Amazon.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 7 May 2026
Epic Eid faced significant backlash on social media after a flyer originally meant for a private group went public that read the event was for Muslim’s only.
—Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
Elevated by backlash stemming from Roberts’ showdown with the General Assembly over LGBTQ+ rights and questions about the then-mayor’s handling of the Keith Lamont Scott protests, Lyles upset the incumbent in the 2017 Democratic mayoral primary.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for backlash
Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
On the 550th Sporticast episode, hosts Eben Novy-Williams and Jacob Feldman are joined by colleague Lev Akabas to discuss a number of current sports business topics, including the backlash to Duke’s new basketball streaming deal with Amazon.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 7 May 2026
Epic Eid faced significant backlash on social media after a flyer originally meant for a private group went public that read the event was for Muslim’s only.
—Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
Elevated by backlash stemming from Roberts’ showdown with the General Assembly over LGBTQ+ rights and questions about the then-mayor’s handling of the Keith Lamont Scott protests, Lyles upset the incumbent in the 2017 Democratic mayoral primary.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 7 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for backlash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backlash
reaction
Noun
-
There was an equal and opposite reaction from far-right Americans and Europeans, some of whom had flocked to Budapest in recent years, treating it as an illiberal city on a hill, and a source of government largesse.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
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Common signs of mold exposure include coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, congestion, headaches, fatigue and asthma-like reactions.—
Ryan Brennan
May 8,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Backlash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backlash. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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