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

Still, the quote, which showed Zelenskyy's resolve and dashed any hope Vladimir Putin may have harbored for a quick takeover of Ukraine, became a war cry, appearing on t-shirts and posters and in countless social media posts. — James Laporta, CBS News, 21 May 2026

His America First agenda is somewhat overshadowed by his war cry in Venezuela and his pro-Russia tilt in settling the Ukraine war. — Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 22 Nov. 2025

Like Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Leeds shifted their uplifting war cry to the clear slot between handshakes and kick-off. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025

The Gophers men’s basketball team is back on its us-against-the-Big Ten war cry. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 21 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1623, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for war cry

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny

Kids Definition

war cry

noun

: a cry or yell used by fighters in battle