Hit without restraint the French cry (4,3)

I believe the answer is:

lash out

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'hit without restraint' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'the french cry' is the wordplay.
'the french' becomes 'la' ('the' in French).
'cry' becomes 'shout' (synonyms).
'la'+'shout'='LASH OUT'

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(Other definitions for lash out that I've seen before include "unprovoked attack" , "Punch wildly" , "spend a fortune" , "Spend lots" , "Become suddenly aggressive" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.

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