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
Though still chilly, the grounds remained busy with people volunteering to help break things down in what felt like one last rallying cry of camaraderie.
—Calum Marsh Bridget Bennett, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The song mixed a jaunty rockabilly-meets-mariachi horns sound with another one of Peters’ rallying cries for misunderstood youth, in this case inspired by a late 1960s Glasgow street gang who went by the song’s title.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025
Quarterly strategic changes had become routine, AI adoption lagged, and their mission statement read like SEO copy rather than a rallying cry.
—Melissa Daimler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
His speech was a call to action more aggressive and comprehensive than perhaps any other by a major liberal figure since Mr. Trump took office, rivaled only by rallying cries from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on their Western tour.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rallying cry
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Calum Marsh Bridget Bennett, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The song mixed a jaunty rockabilly-meets-mariachi horns sound with another one of Peters’ rallying cries for misunderstood youth, in this case inspired by a late 1960s Glasgow street gang who went by the song’s title.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Apr. 2025
Quarterly strategic changes had become routine, AI adoption lagged, and their mission statement read like SEO copy rather than a rallying cry.
—Melissa Daimler, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025
His speech was a call to action more aggressive and comprehensive than perhaps any other by a major liberal figure since Mr. Trump took office, rivaled only by rallying cries from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York on their Western tour.
—Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 28 Apr. 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 6 Jun. 2025.
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