Practice
Phrasal verbs with cry: meanings and examples
At the meeting, a speaker may cry out against a plan. In an empty room, a person may cry out in fear. The same verb appears in both phrases, but the words after it point to different situations.
Choose a phrase with cry by matching the words after cry to the situation in the sentence.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
cry out /kraɪ aʊt/
The short answer
Use cry out for a loud reaction, cry out for something for a strong need, cry out against something for loud opposition, cry off for an arrangement you cancel, and cry over spilled milk for regret about a past event that cannot be changed.
The audience cried out against the proposal after the details were announced.
Why it works: Cried out against means that the audience expressed loud opposition to the proposal.
5 more examples
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Mina cried out when she touched the hot pan.
Cried out describes a sudden loud reaction to pain.
Not this:Mina
spoke quietlyafter she touched the hot pan. What changes: Speaking quietly does not describe the loud reaction expressed by cried out. -
The bare wall cries out for a large map.
Cries out for means that the wall seems to need a large map very much.
Not this:The bare wall
hasa large map beside it. What changes: Having a map beside the wall does not say that the wall needs one. -
Several parents cried out against the proposed cut to the bus service.
Cried out against means complained loudly because they did not approve of the cut.
Not this:Several parents
asked for detailsabout the bus service. What changes: Asking for information does not by itself show loud opposition. -
Leo cried off the dinner after his train was delayed.
Cried off means decided not to attend an arrangement that had already been made.
Not this:Leo
arrived latefor the dinner after his train was delayed. What changes: Arriving late means that Leo still attended the dinner. -
The coach told the team not to cry over spilled milk after the lost point.
The idiom means to keep feeling sorry about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
Not this:The coach asked the team to
reviewthe last point before the next game. What changes: Reviewing a past event can help with a later decision; it does not mean staying upset about it.
Read the full guide
First, ask what the sentence is about. Pain or surprise can make someone cry out. A neglected space can cry out for attention. A group can cry out against a decision, while one person can cry off an arrangement. The setting gives you the answer.
Read cry with the words that follow
A phrasal verb or fixed phrase can change the usual meaning of a verb. With cry, the next word tells you whether someone makes a loud sound, needs something, protests, or cancels a plan. Read the whole phrase before you decide.
The crowd cried out against the decision.
Against tells you that the crowd opposed the decision. It is not simply making a loud sound.
Is the crowd asking for a decision or opposing one?
The crowd is opposing it. The phrase includes against.
Use cry out for a loud reaction
Use cry out when someone suddenly makes a loud sound. Pain, fear, shock, or surprise can cause this reaction. The phrase often appears with in and the reason for the sound, such as in pain or in alarm.
The child cried out in surprise when the dog jumped onto the chair.
The child made a sudden loud sound. The phrase does not mean that the child began to weep.
Which phrase fits a sudden loud sound: cry out or cry off?
Use cry out. It describes the loud reaction.
Use cry out for and against by meaning
Cry out for something means need it very much. Cry out against something means complain loudly because you oppose it. The small word changes the direction: for points to what is needed, and against points to what is opposed.
After weeks without rain, the garden cried out for water.
The garden cannot literally speak. The phrase says that water is badly needed.
Complete the sentence: Workers ___ the unsafe conditions at the factory.
Use cried out against: Workers cried out against the unsafe conditions at the factory.
Use cry off for a canceled arrangement
Cry off means decide not to do something that you had arranged to do. It is mainly British and informal. Use it for a visit, match, meeting, or similar plan. If you are writing formally, cancel is usually the safer choice.
Asha cried off the weekend hike because she was ill.
Asha had planned to join the hike but decided not to go. Leaving early would mean that she still attended.
Does cry off describe arranging a plan or withdrawing from one?
It describes withdrawing from an arrangement that already exists.
Treat cry over spilled milk as one idiom
Cry over spilled milk is a fixed idiom. It describes regret about something that has already happened and cannot be changed. The phrase often tells someone to stop focusing on the mistake and deal with the next step.
We missed the early train, but there is no point crying over spilled milk.
The speaker is not talking about milk. The phrase refers to an event that cannot be undone.
Would you use this idiom before or after an event that cannot be changed?
Use it after the event. It is about regret over a past result.
Before you go
Remember this
Read cry with the next word or phrase. Cry out is a loud reaction. Cry out for shows a strong need, and cry out against shows loud opposition. Cry off means cancel an arrangement. Cry over spilled milk is a fixed idiom about unhelpful regret after a past event.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Phrasal verbs with cry: meanings and examples"
What does cry out mean?
Cry out means make a loud sound or call, often because of pain, fear, surprise, or another strong feeling. It usually describes a sudden reaction. The words after the phrase can add the reason, as in cry out in pain or cry out in alarm.
Mina cried out when she touched the hot pan.
What is the difference between cry out for and cry out against?
Cry out for something means need it very much. Cry out against something means complain loudly because you oppose it. Compare a room that cries out for more light with people who cry out against a rule. The phrase after out gives the meaning.
Mina spoke quietly after she touched the hot pan.
What does cry off mean in British English?
Cry off means decide not to do something that you had arranged to do. It is mainly British and informal. You might cry off a meal, game, visit, or meeting if you cannot attend. In formal writing, cancel is often a more suitable choice.
The bare wall cries out for a large map.
Is cry over spilled milk a phrasal verb?
Cry over spilled milk is usually treated as an idiom, not a simple phrasal verb. Its meaning is fixed: it refers to regret about something that has already happened and cannot be changed. Learn the full expression rather than translating the words one by one.
The bare wall has a large map beside it.
How can I choose the right phrase with cry?
Start with the situation. Choose cry out for a loud reaction, cry out for something when there is a strong need, cry out against something for loud opposition, and cry off for a canceled arrangement. Check the word after cry before you choose the meaning.
Several parents cried out against the proposed cut to the bus service.