a strong or violent reaction, as to some social or political change: a backlash of angry feeling among Southern conservatives within the party.
Machinery.
the space between the thickness of a gear tooth and the width of the space between teeth in the mating gear, designed to allow for a film of lubricant, binding from heat expansion and eccentricity, or manufacturing inaccuracies.
play or lost motion between loosely fitting machine parts.
Angling. a snarled line on a reel, usually caused by a faulty cast.
verb (used without object)
to make or undergo a backlash.
Origin of backlash
First recorded in 1805–15; back2 + lash1
Words nearby backlash
backing, backing dog, backing light, backing store, back in harness, backlash, backless, backlight, backlighting, back line , backlins
The backlash to unrest in the ’60s gave the country Richard Nixon, one study found.
Violent protests against police brutality in the ’60s and ’90s changed public opinion|German Lopez|August 28, 2020|Vox
This lack of oversight led to situations like the mask backlash that resulted in all the major exhibitors reversing course to require face coverings.
National Association of Theater Owners announces health and safety protocols as movie theaters reopen|radmarya|August 21, 2020|Fortune
The Catholic Church considered the bloomers worn by female players as inappropriate and women’s basketball faced a backlash.
This Hoops Hotbed Is Set to Take Off|Pallabi Munsi|August 20, 2020|Ozy
That project, known as Renape, faced criticism from within the military and a backlash from the government technicians building it because of its lack of transparency and the threats it posed to freedom and privacy.
Brazil is sliding into techno-authoritarianism|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The decision immediately sparked a backlash, as researchers accused the lab of pulling a stunt.
A college kid’s fake, AI-generated blog fooled tens of thousands. This is how he made it.|Karen Hao|August 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
The backlash from female voters was felt immediately in the polls.
What Brazil’s Dilma Rousseff Can Teach Hillary Clinton|Heather Arnet|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Have you seen any kind of backlash like that with So You Think You Can Dance?
Nigel Lythgoe on How to Save Reality TV, ‘On the Town,’ and ‘Brokeback Ballroom’|Kevin Fallon|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many of these individuals may fear a backlash, given the controversial causes that they support.
The $1-Billion-a-Year Right-Wing Conspiracy You Haven’t Heard Of|Jay Michaelson|September 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The backlash and bad publicity from the escape is much more than the warden ever wanted, but he will have to deal with it.
How To Plan A Jailbreak|Seth Ferranti|September 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Much of his pro-Israel conservative base would have had no problem with these comments, so Cruz may not have expected a backlash.
Christians Enraged With Cruz Over Pro-Israel Comments|Tim Mak|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Extrapolating Russian history, it would be reasonable to expect a backlash in the form of a counterrevolution.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin
As these unpleasant truths emerge, the bitterness, resentment and disillusionment will grow and a backlash will develop.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin
The backlash of that blast must have caught the majority of the lights also.
Star Hunter|Andre Alice Norton
But he was sure of its source; it had not been any backlash of the Red caller!
The Defiant Agents|Andre Alice Norton
British Dictionary definitions for backlash
backlash
/ (ˈbækˌlæʃ) /
noun
a reaction or recoil between interacting worn or badly fitting parts in a mechanism
the play between parts
a sudden and adverse reaction, esp to a political or social developmenta public backlash against the government is inevitable