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
Ted is a cartoon creep with an Oxbridge hauteur, but Theo’s shortcomings may be too subtly rendered for a play that cries out for more definition.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Vonn was heard crying out in agony as medical staff surrounded her.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2026
The spa at Cortina’s four-year-old timber-and-glass Rosa Petra resort, whose sauna is exactly what sore post-ski hamstrings cry out for.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Harrowing footage circulating online shows his distraught father desperately searching among piles of bodies covered with black body bags, crying out for his missing son.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
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.
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Vonn was heard crying out in agony as medical staff surrounded her.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2026
The spa at Cortina’s four-year-old timber-and-glass Rosa Petra resort, whose sauna is exactly what sore post-ski hamstrings cry out for.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026
Harrowing footage circulating online shows his distraught father desperately searching among piles of bodies covered with black body bags, crying out for his missing son.
—Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 27 Jan. 2026
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 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
