ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lash out against

phr. v..
B1 Intermediate Oxford Informal

phr. v.. to attack or criticize someone or something suddenly and angrily.

phr. v.. to strike or attack suddenly and violently; to criticize or condemn forcefully, often in response to provocation; transitive, typically followed by a person or thing being attacked.


SIMPLE

He lashed out against the criticism.

CONTEXTUAL

After the argument, she lashed out against her colleague in front of everyone.

COMPLEX

The politician's harsh speech was a clear sign that he had lashed out against the opposition's recent policies.

Particles
out against
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
lash + out + against + object
Usage

typically followed by a person or thing being attacked or criticized.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'react to' (more neutral) and 'condemn' (more formal); 'lash out against' implies sudden, emotional aggression rather than calculated criticism.

Pitfall

He lashed out of the critic.He lashed out against the critic.'against' is the required preposition — 'out of' would mean a different action entirely.

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