rallied; rallying
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
1
: to come together again to renew an effort
2
: to join in a common cause
4
: to engage in a 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 rally entry 1]
: 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
Examples of rally in a Sentence
Verb (1)
rallied the Red Cross workers to deal with the devastating earthquake
despite the best care that medicine could provide, the elderly woman never really rallied from her fractured hip
after wavering a moment on the balance beam, she quickly rallied and finished with a fine dismount
Noun
Supporters held a rally for the candidate.
Protesters staged an antiwar rally.
Stock prices are up after the dollar's rally yesterday.
Verb (2)
his friends rallied him for missing an easy putt
Recent Examples on the Web
Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
The 'continuity candidate' Munster said the stock should rally as investors warm up to the idea of Ternus leading of one of the world's biggest and most well-known public companies.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Dan Hayes, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
The big hit came courtesy of Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler, who capped off the rally by tagging Crochet for a three-run home run to dead center field and ultimately finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rally
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Verb
McCollum added a veteran presence to a young Hawks roster that rallied to a playoff spot.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
The 'continuity candidate' Munster said the stock should rally as investors warm up to the idea of Ternus leading of one of the world's biggest and most well-known public companies.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
After the Twins tied the score with a ninth-inning rally of their own, Garrett Acton yielded three unearned runs in a 7-4 loss to the Reds in 10 innings.
—Dan Hayes, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
The big hit came courtesy of Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler, who capped off the rally by tagging Crochet for a three-run home run to dead center field and ultimately finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rally
Cite this Entry
“Rally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rally. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rally
1 of 3 verb
ral·ly
ˈral-ē 
rallied; rallying
1
a
: to bring or come together for a common purpose
rallied to the cause
b
: to bring back to order
rallied the retreating troops
2
: to rouse from low spirits or weakness
the patient rallied
3
: to make a comeback
the team rallied in the fourth quarter
stock prices rallied at the close of trading
rally
2 of 3 noun
plural rallies
1
: the action of rallying
2
: a big meeting intended to arouse enthusiasm
3
: a series of shots hit back and forth between players (as in tennis) before a point is won
rally
3 of 3 verb
rallied; rallying
: to tease in a good-natured way
Etymology
Verb
from French rallier "to call or come together for a common purpose," from early French ralier (same meaning), from re- "again, back" and alier "to unite"
Verb
from French railler "to mock, tease," from early French railler (same meaning) — related to rail entry 4
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