rally

verb ral·ly \ ˈra-lē \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of rally

rallied; rallying

transitive verb

1 a : to muster for a common purpose

b : to recall to order

2 a : to arouse for action

b : to rouse from depression or weakness

intransitive verb

1 : to come together again to renew an effort

2 : to join in a common cause

3 : recover, rebound

rallied briefly from his illness

4 : to engage in a rally

Recent Examples of rally from the Web

The Nets' win was the bad news for the Cavaliers, who rallied from 17 points down and beat Washington, 119-115.

— chris fedor, cleveland.com, "Jordan Clarkson throws down 360 dunk on breakaway during first half vs. Wizards (video)," 6 Apr. 2018
His competitive nature took over and Francois made what was supposed to be an easy assignment very hard by rallying from way back to win the metric mile race in a time of 4 minutes, 25.48 seconds.

— buddy collings, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Joab Francois can’t resist urge to rally for 1,600 win | Seminole Athletic Conference track and field," 6 Apr. 2018
The Galloping Ghost rallied from a six-point deficit in the final 3 minutes to deny the City Conference its first state champion since 2004.

— mark stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "All-area boys basketball: Surprising runs, dramatic finishes capped season," 5 Apr. 2018
The Clippers survived their first big test during this final stretch by rallying from 19 points down to stun the Spurs on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

— broderick turner, latimes.com, "Clippers vow to fight until the end, which could come with a loss in last four games," 5 Apr. 2018
That, and the time Poway rallied from a 2-0 deficit to edge rival Rancho Bernardo 3-2 in The Game at the Lake, remain her favorite games as a Titan.

— terry monahan, Pomerado News, "Top Poway softball player dying to become a coroner," 5 Apr. 2018
The Mexican peso trimmed its losses on news of the meetings, rallying from a session low 18.355 per U.S. dollar toward 18.2.

— Bloomberg.com, "Trump Pushing for Preliminary Nafta Deal by Mid-April, Sources Say," 3 Apr. 2018
The Wolverines rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to upend NCAA darling Loyola-Chicago 69-57.

— corey sheldon, OregonLive.com, "TV channels, radio listings for sports on the air, April 2-8: NCAA Tournament final, Blazers and more," 2 Apr. 2018
Michigan forward Moritz Wagner collected 24 points and 15 rebounds, and the Wolverines rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to end the Ramblers’ unforgettable ride with a 69-57 victory at the Alamodome.

— christopher l. gasper, BostonGlobe.com, "Despite loss, Loyola Chicago proved it belonged all along," 1 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rally.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of rally

French rallier, from Old French ralier, from re- + alier to unite — more at ally

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

See Words from the same year

rally

noun

Definition of rally

plural rallies

1 a : a mustering of scattered forces to renew an effort

b : a summoning up of strength or courage after weakness or dejection

c : a recovery of price after a decline

d : a renewed offensive

2 : a mass meeting intended to arouse group enthusiasm

3 : a series of shots interchanged between players (as in tennis) before a point is won

4 or less commonly rallye

[French rallye, from English ¹rally]

: an automobile competition using public roads and ordinary traffic rules with the object of maintaining a specified average speed between checkpoints over a route unknown to the participants until the start of the event

See rally defined for English-language learners

Examples of rally in a Sentence

Supporters held a rally for the candidate.
Protesters staged an antiwar rally.
Stock prices are up after the dollar's rally yesterday.

Recent Examples of rally from the Web

The left-hander became the second Rangers starter to complete six innings, allowing only one run on two hits, and Joey Gallo jump-started a four-run two-out rally in the fifth with a two-run double in a 5-1 victory.

— jeff wilson, star-telegram, "Minor gives Rangers what they need on cold night without Beltre," 7 Apr. 2018
The winning Brewers' rally in the ninth inning started with a one-out walk drawn by Manny Piña.

— jeff maillet, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Fans brawl in upper deck at Miller Park during Friday's Brewers-Cubs game," 7 Apr. 2018
All eyes are on the state's teachers after last week's statewide sickout forced nearly 30 districts to cancel classes and Monday's rally in the state Capitol drew thousands.

— mandy mclaren, The Courier-Journal, "Will teachers hold another sickout Monday? Statewide union urges against it," 6 Apr. 2018
CBS Chicago reports that students at the University of Chicago have organized a protest rally in the wake of the shooting.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Protests after University of Chicago student shot by officer," 6 Apr. 2018
Nidhal Bahourith, a cleric at Aden's Al-Dhahibi Mosque, was taken by armed men last Thursday, sparking a protest rally in the city.

— ahmed al-haj, Fox News, "Fear grips Yemen's Aden as deadly attacks target clerics," 5 Apr. 2018
The decision helped extend a rally in the bond market, triggered last week by the government’s decision to cut its first-half borrowing plans.

— Bloomberg.com, "India's RBI Paints a ‘Goldilocks’ Economy as Trade War Looms," 5 Apr. 2018
Then, on June 23, organizers plan a large rally in Washington — similar to what King had envisioned….

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Who Represents MLK’s Legacy Today?," 4 Apr. 2018
Speakers at the main rally in Washington came together from a number of communities impacted by gun violence, including Chicago, Los Angeles, and Newtown, Connecticut.

— ella cerón, Teen Vogue, "Marjory Stoneman Douglas Students Tweeted Their Support for Employees in the YouTube HQ Shooting," 4 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of rally

1646

rally Synonyms

rally

verb

Definition of rally

rallied; rallying

transitive verb

: to attack with raillery : banter

Recent Examples of rally from the Web

As the search continued, the community rallied and prayed that the boy would be found.

— crimesider staff, CBS News, "Search for missing autistic boy takes grim turn as father is arrested," 9 Apr. 2018
Midlothian beat Crowley 3-1 in penalty kicks and Highland Park rallied to beat Frisco Centennial 4-2 in overtime.

— brian gosset, star-telegram, "Joshua girls make history, 4-peat for Grapevine girls; Lake Ridge, Aledo boys advance | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 7 Apr. 2018
But the opioid epidemic has often been framed as an issue politicians of all stripes can rally behind, and one that’s touched both liberal- and conservative-leaning states.

— matt stout, BostonGlobe.com, "‘I’m running for United States Senate in 2018. I am not running for president of the United States’," 6 Apr. 2018
The Canucks rallied from a 3-1 hole in the third period to force overtime at 3-3, and Daniel Sedin ended the game by pumping home his second goal of the contest off a feed from Henrik.

— jace evans, USA TODAY, "Daniel Sedin scores OT winner, assisted by twin Henrik, during final home game for Canucks," 6 Apr. 2018
The game was a back-and-forth affair with the Barons down one run on three different occasions, but Birmingham rallied to tie the game before taking and holding a late lead behind a strong performance from the bullpen.

— cheryl wray, AL.com, "Birmingham Barons win opener 5-4 on road over Chattanooga," 6 Apr. 2018
Revelations about Chung getting a free pass angered many students who joined anti-Park rallies.

— Washington Post, "Fate of key figures in S. Korean scandal that toppled Park," 6 Apr. 2018
The death of Stephon Clark does what many black men’s deaths at the hands of police do: rally the troops to protest why, for some strange reason, black lives seemingly don’t matter.

— danielle young, The Root, "Judge of Characters: The Hatred of Black Women," 6 Apr. 2018
Contreras and her three children have thrown themselves into protesting the current plans and rallying neighborhood support.

— jessica boehm, azcentral, "Business owners oppose south central light-rail extension, Phoenix moves ahead anyway," 5 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of rally

French railler to mock, rally — more at rail

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1668

See Words from the same year

Financial Definition of RALLY

rally

noun

What It Is

A rally is a period of hours, days, weeks, months, or sometimes years during which securities prices consistently rise.

How It Works

Identifying and measuring rallies is both art and science. Of course, different market sectors may experience rallies at different times.

The causes and characteristics of rallies vary, but most financial theorists agree that economic cycles and investor sentiment both play a role in the creation and momentum of rallies. In general, information about a strong or strengthening economy, indicated by high employment, high disposable income, low inflation and high business profits usually ushers in a rally. The existence of several new trading highs for well-known companies also indicates a rally is occurring. It is important to note that government involvement affects rallies: Changing the federal funds rate or tax rates indirectly encourages economic expansion or contraction.

Rising investor confidence also indicates a rally, and it is perhaps more powerful than any economic indicator because when investors believe something is going to happen (a rally, for example), they tend to take action (purchasing shares in order to profit from expected price increases) that actually turn expectations into reality. Although it is an objective concept, investor sentiment shows through in mathematical measurements such as the put/call ratio, the advance/decline line, IPO activity, and the amount of outstanding margin debt.

As investors take profits or react to bad news or negative indicators, rallies generally unravel over time.

Why It Matters

Rallies usually present a multitude of moneymaking opportunities for investors because prices are generally rising across the board. But rallies don’t last forever, and they don’t always give advance notice of their arrival, so the investor must know when to buy and when to sell to maximize his or her profits. This means the investor must attempt to "time the market" or gauge when a rally has begun and when it is ending.

Analysts spend thousands of hours trying to mathematically determine what will trigger the next rally and how long it will last. Technical analysis is especially prevalent in this effort, although less sophisticated indicators such as hemline fashions or the NFL division of the latest Super Bowl winner also provide fodder for such predictions. This in turn can sometimes lead to speculation that a rally is just around the corner, which can then become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Source: Investing Answers

RALLY Defined for English Language Learners

rally

noun

Definition of rally for English Language Learners

: a public meeting to support or oppose someone or something
finance : an increase in price or value after a decrease in price or value
sports : an occurrence in which a team or player that has been behind or playing badly begins to play well

RALLY Defined for Kids

rally

verb ral·ly \ ˈra-lē \

Definition of rally for Students

rallied; rallying

1 : to bring or come together for a common purpose Supporters rallied at the capitol building.

2 : to publicly support or oppose

The whole school rallied behind the principal.

3 : to rouse from low spirits or weakness

The patient rallied and survived.

The team rallied to win the game.

rally

noun

Definition of rally for Students

plural rallies

1 : a sudden improvement in performance or condition

The team's late rally helped them win.

2 : a big meeting held to rouse enthusiasm

Learn More about rally

See words that rhyme with rally Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rally Spanish Central: Translation of rally Nglish: Translation of rally for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of rally for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rally

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rally

Definition of rally

Recent Examples of rally from the Web

Origin and Etymology of rally

rally

Definition of rally

Examples of rally in a Sentence

Recent Examples of rally from the Web

First Known Use of rally

rally Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

rally

Definition of rally

Recent Examples of rally from the Web

Origin and Etymology of rally

Financial Definition of RALLY

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

Phrases Related to RALLY

Related Phrases

RALLY Defined for English Language Learners

rally

Definition of rally for English Language Learners

RALLY Defined for Kids

rally

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rally

Definition of rally for Students

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