battle cry

noun

plural battle cries
Synonyms of battle crynext
1
: a shouted word, phrase, or sound used by a body of fighters before or in battle : war cry
… the Texans later defeated the Mexican army …, securing Texas' independence from Mexico. "Remember the Alamo" was their battle cry.US Official News
2
: a slogan, catchphrase, or motto that is used especially to rally people to a cause or to rouse people to action : rallying cry
… the Senator … has selected the battle cry that his listeners will understand and respond to.William H. Grimes
She [softball coach Vickie Sax] added: "Our [team] battle cry all year has been 'All In!' …"Kevin Stevens
Its purpose is to find asteroids in orbits that cross the orbit of the Earth. "Find them before they find us!" is the Spacewatch battle cry.David H. Levy
Every graduate of Lincoln Elementary School for the past thirty-five years could remember standing at that table listening to Mrs. Granger's battle cry: "Look it up! That's why we have the dictionary."Andrew Clements

Examples of battle cry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The new Congress, established on the revolutionaries’ battle cry of no taxation without representation, also needed to pay the bills. Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026 The new Congress, established on the revolutionaries' battle cry of no taxation without representation, also needed to pay the bills. ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026 From the electric energy of the stadium to the iconic War Eagle battle cry and all of the other iconic traditions, Auburn is a university that knows how to do college football right. Molly Burford, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026 Ruby Ridge and Waco became battle cries that catalyzed the Patriot Movement, a white supremacist militia movement that fused conspiracism and antigovernment narratives with Christian nationalism. Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for battle cry

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of battle cry was in 1775

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Cite this Entry

“Battle cry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle%20cry. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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