call to arms

noun phrase

1

: a summons to engage in active hostilities

2

: a summons, invitation, or appeal to undertake a particular course of action

a political call to arms

Examples of call to arms in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Three days later, Sistani issued a call to arms and within weeks, tens of thousands of Shiite volunteers signed up to join the Iraqi military or one of a growing number of Shiite militias. —Mohamad Bazzi, Foreign Affairs, 24 May 2018

For every celebrity with a vape in hand, journalists in the crowd absorbed George Clooney’s call to arms under a sobering haze of scrutiny. —Antonio Ferme, Variety, 5 Apr. 2025

The call to arms follows Södra’s investment into a production line creating vegetable tanning agent from bark at its Värö facility in Sweden. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019

Yet, others who consider the image of Kelly see something else: freedom, power, a call to arms to keep unleashing the sports bra to the world. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1702, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for call to arms

• firearms
• alarms
• disarms
• forearms
• gendarmes
• charms
• farms
• harms