rallying cry
noun
plural rallying cries
1
: a shouted word, phrase, or sound used by a body of fighters before or in battle : battle cry, war cry
… the innocent ejaculation hurrah! became a fearsome rallying cry in Napoleonic times.—
Geoffrey Hughes
Geoffrey Hughes2
: something (such as a catchphrase, incident, or event) that is used to excite people to support a cause or to rouse people to action
Lions captain Sam Warburton issued a rallying cry to his team yesterday … by urging them to "reach for the stars".—Mick Cleary
Mick ClearyUltimately, just 6 per cent of people would tell businesses to "keep doing what you're doing". If these findings do not act as a rallying cry for change, it is unclear what will.—Frank Luntz
Frank LuntzBoth campaigns have seized on the attempt to ban that book in schools as a rallying cry.—Edward Keenan
Edward KeenanThe much-despised gabelle, a tax first imposed on salt in France in the 13th century and at times soaring to 10 times the cost of producing salt in the first place, became a rallying cry for the French Revolution …—Ligaya Mishan
Ligaya MishanExamples of rallying cry in a Sentence
the rallying cry of a political movement
“We believe!” became the rallying cry of the fans.
Recent Examples on the Web
More significantly, his speech became an unexpected rallying cry for Democrats seeking to reinvigorate opposition to the President’s policies ahead of the next election cycle.
—Nik Popli, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Moye recalled Stone’s steadfast advocacy years before #OscarsSoWhite became a rallying cry.
—Marc Tracy, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2025
The persistence of high egg prices after his inauguration drew criticism from many Democratic figures, who sought to turn it into a rallying cry.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025
After Trump emerged victorious in 2016, this rallying cry morphed into a way to attack all women politicians the MAGA crowd disagreed with.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rallying cry
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Nik Popli, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
Moye recalled Stone’s steadfast advocacy years before #OscarsSoWhite became a rallying cry.
—Marc Tracy, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2025
The persistence of high egg prices after his inauguration drew criticism from many Democratic figures, who sought to turn it into a rallying cry.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025
After Trump emerged victorious in 2016, this rallying cry morphed into a way to attack all women politicians the MAGA crowd disagreed with.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rallying cry
Cite this Entry
“Rallying cry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rallying%20cry. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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