lash out

Verb

lash out (third-person singular simple present lashes out, present participle lashing out, simple past and past participle lashed out)

1. To make a sudden violent attack.
   • Four Japanese torpedo boats launch an attack on the Suvorov. Despite burning steadily for several hours and now taking a torpedo to the stern, the ship still lashes out at its attackers with a few remaining guns. With no pressing need to continue the attack to closer range, the torpedo boats fall...2019 September 18, Drachinifel, 25:58 from the start, in Battle of Tsushima - When the 2nd Pacific Squadron thought it couldn't get any worse..., archived from the original on 04 Dec 2022
2. (figuratively) To make a fierce verbal attack.
   • The man lashed out at me when I asked if it was his own hair.
   • He [Sebastian Kurz] has lashed out at the justice system, accusing prosecutors of being politically motivated.2021 October 17, Katrin Bennhold, “Fake Polls and Tabloid Coverage on Demand: The Dark Side of Sebastian Kurz”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 26 Nov 2021
3. (intransitive) To splash out (spend a lot of money).