war cry

noun

plural war cries
1
: a shouted word, phrase, or sound used by a body of fighters before or in battle : battle cry
Yelling and shouting fearsome war cries, the attackers leaped from the ditch, peppering the ramparts with a hail of arrows, spears and stones.Brian Jaques
2
: a slogan, catchphrase, or motto that is used especially to rally people to a cause or to rouse people to action : rallying cry
Certainly, the NIMBY war cry is being heard in more than my town. The 2006 Saint Index, … which analyzes attitudes toward real estate development, found that twice as many Americans actively oppose development as support it.Katherine Field

Examples of war cry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Native Maoris flown in from the Motherland also raised the roof with a Haka and war cries that carried across the harbor, goading their sailors to victory. George Allen, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024 Not even Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, which is famous for its family-style chicken dinners and has a seating capacity of 1,500, got as much as Conlan Abu, the company named after what Moore has said was his family’s Irish war cry. Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 12 June 2024 The Past Battle cries: How ancient soldiers used sound to frighten and confuse their enemies Bloodcurdling war cries, shrieking elephants, and whistling arrows all made soldiers flee in terror. Big Think, 24 June 2024 The guttural moan Molly releases in that moment is a war cry for horny women everywhere. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for war cry 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'war cry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of war cry was in 1748

Dictionary Entries Near war cry

Cite this Entry

“War cry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20cry. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

war cry

noun
: a cry or yell used by fighters in battle

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