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
The odd moment of magic isn’t cutting it and the Brazilian public are crying out for a first World Cup title since 2002.
—
Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
How much the club’s intentions rest on Champions League qualification through the Europa League final remains to be seen but either way, Amorim is crying out for new toys.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 20 May 2025
The situation cried out for a beer treatment, and Koepka wasted little time in providing it.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
With a score that includes staccato human voices crying out, Ben moves through the sterile indoor world of a leisure center, often resembling a lonely gunslingers thanks to the Widescreen aspect ratio.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cry out
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
How much the club’s intentions rest on Champions League qualification through the Europa League final remains to be seen but either way, Amorim is crying out for new toys.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 20 May 2025
The situation cried out for a beer treatment, and Koepka wasted little time in providing it.
—Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
With a score that includes staccato human voices crying out, Ben moves through the sterile indoor world of a leisure center, often resembling a lonely gunslingers thanks to the Widescreen aspect ratio.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 16 May 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 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share