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
Handed the biggest of all hospital passes, Andy Howe — the deputy head of recruitment and Eddie’s nephew — has stepped into Paul Mitchell’s shoes and, in the final reckoning, re-sculpted a team which was crying out for fresh blood.
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Some versions have Anne playing in the weeds, then suddenly crying out for her mother’s attention.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
This cried out for a second opinion.
—Patricia Marx, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adelson, 75, cried out when the first guilty verdict was read and wept as the other verdicts came in.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cry out
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George Caulkin, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2025
Some versions have Anne playing in the weeds, then suddenly crying out for her mother’s attention.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025
This cried out for a second opinion.
—Patricia Marx, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Adelson, 75, cried out when the first guilty verdict was read and wept as the other verdicts came in.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cry out
Cite this Entry
“Cry out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry%20out. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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