From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcry for helpcry for helpsomething someone says or does that shows that they are very unhappy and need help I think taking the pills was a cry for help. → cry
Examples from the Corpus
cry for help• Janie's suicide attempt was obviously a cry for help.• I suppose underneath it was a cry for help.• Meanwhile, another cry for help.• If anyone had been crying for help, the firemen must have responded by now.• Screams and desperate cries for help filled the streets.• A boy passing by homewards from the pictures heard his cries for help.• Without adequate built-in safeguards, there will be other Susan Allens who will pull the trigger before they cry for help.• Opening his mouth to cry for help, he -! 