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

2

: 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

Ultimately, 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

Both campaigns have seized on the attempt to ban that book in schools as a rallying cry.

—Edward Keenan

The 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

Examples 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

His words are a rallying cry, not just for his teammates, but for clubs across the continent that have long fought for credibility in global football. —Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Leading activists, artists and ordinary citizens share their stories of breathtaking courage, cultural innovations and acts of resistance in a book that's part rallying cry, part cultural history and absolutely essential Pride Month reading. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 30 May 2025

This rallying cry, once confined to extremist circles, has become disturbingly mainstream. —Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025

And it’s furthered by customizing your cybersecurity awareness vendor’s materials with your company branding—and unifying those communications with a unique rallying cry that inspires employees in this effort. —Elizabeth Baskin, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for rallying cry

• abscissae
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi
• certify