cry out

phrasal verb

cried out; crying out; cries out

: to make a loud sound because of pain, fear, surprise, etc.

She cried out in pain.

: 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.

—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 + for

The 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

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.

The Swedish native also recalls hearing people crying out for help. —

Brian Brant, People.com, 30 Nov. 2024 The third-quarter struggle was a moment that cried out for Butler’s ability to get to the foul line to stem the tide. —

Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2024 Voices crying out from beneath slabs of shattered concrete and steel are fading, and ending. —

Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Oct. 2024 Other signals that trigger thirst, like hormones related to kidney stress and low blood volume still circulate throughout the mammals’ bodies, which should, by all standard measures, be crying out for fluids. —

Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cry out