Meaning of 'backlash'

[Kelly Krueger]

Test No. incompl/advan-39 "State Secrets", question 2

Journalists however love to get hold of a story somehow but they run the risk of facing a ......... if they break the official secrects act.

(a) back whip
(b) backlash
(c) backstore
(d) back strike

Test No. incompl/advan-39 "State Secrets", answer 2

Journalists however love to get hold of a story somehow but they run the risk of facing a backlash if they break the official secrects act.

Correct answer: (b) backlash

Your answer was: incorrect
Journalists however love to get hold of a story somehow but they run the risk of facing a back strike if they break the official secrects act.
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Dear Torsten,

Why we can not use back strike here, as what I understand, the sentence should tell that "the Journalists would have to face with laiding off the job", is that right?

Kelly Krueger

[Alan]

Hi Kelly,

This word means repercussion, which is often a difficult reaction to what you have done. Lash is a whip and if you use a whip, there is a possibility that it will flip back and hit you.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Word Story: Dictionary

[Mister Micawber]

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Back strike is not a meaningful English phrase, Kelly.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Kelly]

Thank you very much Alan and Mister Micawber. I understand now ^^

[andre]

[Lost_Soul]

what does "back whip" mean? Is there any idiomatic meaning of this collocation?

thanks

[Mister Micawber]

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'Back whip' sounds no more familiar to me than 'back strike', Lost Soul.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's