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
The backlash has upended longstanding norms in public health: The nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., publicly questions the value of common vaccines.
—
ArsTechnica, 4 Aug. 2025
Consumer backlash could also push more third-party publishers into releasing their physical games on cartridges, rather than as Game-Key Cards, reducing storage demands.
—Matt Kamen, Wired News, 3 Aug. 2025
After his comment sparked backlash, Owens, 66, addressed the controversy surrounding his remarks about dating preferences.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
The request to unseal records from the Florida federal investigation came as the Trump administration responds to a growing backlash for its refusal to release the government’s voluminous files on Epstein -- months after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi promised full transparency on the files.
—Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for backlash
ArsTechnica, 4 Aug. 2025
Consumer backlash could also push more third-party publishers into releasing their physical games on cartridges, rather than as Game-Key Cards, reducing storage demands.
—Matt Kamen, Wired News, 3 Aug. 2025
After his comment sparked backlash, Owens, 66, addressed the controversy surrounding his remarks about dating preferences.
—Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2025
The request to unseal records from the Florida federal investigation came as the Trump administration responds to a growing backlash for its refusal to release the government’s voluminous files on Epstein -- months after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi promised full transparency on the files.
—Ben Wieder, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for backlash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for backlash
reaction
Noun
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Its response reads like a prophecy of the actual user reaction.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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Consumers who have experienced adverse reactions after using these products should report their symptoms and product use to their health care providers, the agency said.—
Adrienne Roberts,
Freep.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Backlash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/backlash. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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