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
Each delicious grotesque cries out to the divine and shivers in earthly pleasure.
—
Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Gold money cries out for banking and banking leads to lending and lending leads to IOUs and IOUs lead to a monetary system where money with intrinsic value is the tip of an iceberg of currencies and financial instruments.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
Our bodies will shortly get swathed in fall jackets, cozy sweaters, and wide-leg jeans, but our feet are already crying out for trendy sneakers, chunky loafers, and cute boots for autumn.
—Vivien Lee, refinery29.com, 19 Sep. 2024
The signs were all there, according to some family members who said the boy had been crying out for help for months if not years.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cry out 
Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Gold money cries out for banking and banking leads to lending and lending leads to IOUs and IOUs lead to a monetary system where money with intrinsic value is the tip of an iceberg of currencies and financial instruments.
—Clem Chambers, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
Our bodies will shortly get swathed in fall jackets, cozy sweaters, and wide-leg jeans, but our feet are already crying out for trendy sneakers, chunky loafers, and cute boots for autumn.
—Vivien Lee, refinery29.com, 19 Sep. 2024
The signs were all there, according to some family members who said the boy had been crying out for help for months if not years.
—Michael Loria, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cry out
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cry out.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cry out
Cite this Entry
“Cry out.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry%20out. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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