1
as in excursion
a short trip for pleasure
a morning sally out to see the historic monuments around the city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
the final sally made her laugh, and that ended the argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sally
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
The most comprehensive sally, of course, is the administration’s drastic and abrupt cut in funding by the National Institutes of Health.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Most recently, the Kremlin has settled on a strategy that involves legal sallies against international digital companies—including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2015
He was born into a rich family, and his father, the outer-borough real-estate developer Fred Trump, financed his early sallies into Manhattan real estate.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
The close relationship between Abe and Hudson really got under way after his first disastrous sally as prime minister in 2006–7, when everyone in Japan thought his political career was over.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 8 July 2022
Both nominees would be vital to Democrats push to revive Net neutrality, the latest sally in a decades-long battle over whether all Internet traffic should be treated equally by providers.
—BostonGlobe.com, 26 Oct. 2021
And consider compromise that can bring most everyone to the table in agreement, rather than insisting on a quixotic sally into a windmill that might flip a body into the air and leave it to fall.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021
As Claremont puts a great deal of effort into promoting constitutional principles and the Founding, this is a peculiarly off-base sally.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 21 Aug. 2019
Jacky Wong, WSJ, 20 June 2022
In 2018, for instance, an American aircraft-carrier sallied into the Arctic Circle for the first time in 30 years, during a huge exercise in Norway.
—The Economist, 16 May 2020
In addition to this, the two foresters cite other assaults: the beetle colonies that waited out the newly mild winters in the dead wood left by the high winds, and which sallied forth aggressively this year to attack new stands.
—National Geographic, 13 Jan. 2020
From the school, convoys sallied forth every morning toward the half-dozen sawmills that lay beyond town, hidden behind high plank walls.
—Felipe Fittipaldi, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Cleander, who commanded the Praetorian Guards, ordered a body of cavalry to sally forth and disperse the seditious multitude.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 6 June 2019
In my own hopelessly romantic eyes, Dr. Hawking in the Copley Plaza will always be St. George in a wheelchair, sallying forth to slay the black-hole dragon.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2018
So many people going to the game or other festivities surrounding the game are waiting for temperatures to safely rise above freezing levels before sallying out.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 8 Jan. 2018
Noun
Prices of stocks and bonds, along with long-term interest rates, have oscillated up and down in response to the daily verbal sallies from the White House.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
The most comprehensive sally, of course, is the administration’s drastic and abrupt cut in funding by the National Institutes of Health.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Most recently, the Kremlin has settled on a strategy that involves legal sallies against international digital companies—including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2015
He was born into a rich family, and his father, the outer-borough real-estate developer Fred Trump, financed his early sallies into Manhattan real estate.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
The close relationship between Abe and Hudson really got under way after his first disastrous sally as prime minister in 2006–7, when everyone in Japan thought his political career was over.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 8 July 2022
Both nominees would be vital to Democrats push to revive Net neutrality, the latest sally in a decades-long battle over whether all Internet traffic should be treated equally by providers.
—BostonGlobe.com, 26 Oct. 2021
And consider compromise that can bring most everyone to the table in agreement, rather than insisting on a quixotic sally into a windmill that might flip a body into the air and leave it to fall.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021
As Claremont puts a great deal of effort into promoting constitutional principles and the Founding, this is a peculiarly off-base sally.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 21 Aug. 2019
Verb
That may last for a while as buyers who weren’t able to purchase an apartment during the depths of the pandemic restrictions finally sally forth.
—Jacky Wong, WSJ, 20 June 2022
In 2018, for instance, an American aircraft-carrier sallied into the Arctic Circle for the first time in 30 years, during a huge exercise in Norway.
—The Economist, 16 May 2020
In addition to this, the two foresters cite other assaults: the beetle colonies that waited out the newly mild winters in the dead wood left by the high winds, and which sallied forth aggressively this year to attack new stands.
—National Geographic, 13 Jan. 2020
From the school, convoys sallied forth every morning toward the half-dozen sawmills that lay beyond town, hidden behind high plank walls.
—Felipe Fittipaldi, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Cleander, who commanded the Praetorian Guards, ordered a body of cavalry to sally forth and disperse the seditious multitude.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 6 June 2019
In my own hopelessly romantic eyes, Dr. Hawking in the Copley Plaza will always be St. George in a wheelchair, sallying forth to slay the black-hole dragon.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2018
So many people going to the game or other festivities surrounding the game are waiting for temperatures to safely rise above freezing levels before sallying out.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 8 Jan. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sally
Noun
-
Each of the six itineraries is an experiential deep dive of immersive cultural moments, unforgettable active excursions, the most stunning sights and indulgent cuisine.—
Larry Olmsted,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
Noise-reducing Earplugs Sometimes a European city break means sticking to a small budget and finding ways to stretch your budget to see as many cities or enjoy as many excursions as possible.—
Gregory Robinson,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2025
Noun
-
There are a lot of fun moments during the annual Big Slick weekend in Kansas City, and the laughs are shared by the celebrities who take part as well as the audience at the softball game and the gala.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
5 June 2025
-
If a client senses that every friendly laugh and personal anecdote was just bait on the hook, the entire relationship collapses into a transaction.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
-
That opening-apocalypse chapter is presented as Act III of a narrative triptych that’s moving backward and which now jumps to Chuck himself (Tom Hiddleston), a middle-aged and largely undistinguished accountant in town for a conference.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
6 June 2025
-
Know the risks before diving in Not everyone should jump into a cold tub or crank up the heat.—
Novant Health,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
On the crudest count then takes an average 2.2 drone sorties to damage a target and 7.1 to destroy it.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Ukrainian drone unit Birds of Magyar say that their bombers carry out an average of 69 sorties before being lost.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The site’s users took great joy in watching the feud in real time, responding to the showdown between the president and the world’s wealthiest man with jokes and memes.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Surrounded by her animals at home, Lin watched re-runs of The Big Bang Theory, practicing the cadence of the words, the rising sound of a joke, the pacing of each phrase.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
Verb
-
Then one angle to be tackled is nostalgia and its danger.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
3 June 2025
-
Lee could be inaugurated as early as Wednesday – and faces a host of issues waiting to be tackled.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Martin and his merry band of Coldplay troubadours – guitarist Jonny Buckland, bass player Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion – unleashed their infectious brand of rock May 31 on an adoring California crowd to kick off the final leg of a three year tour that wraps in London this September.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
2 June 2025
-
The North American leg of Linkin Park’s upcoming tour is set to kick off July 29 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
2 June 2025
Verb
-
On issue after issue — guns, property taxes, transgender rights — Republicans will try to trap Jolly, forcing him to play identity politics, likely a losing proposition.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
-
If trapped by moving water, seek the highest possible point and contact emergency services by calling 911.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
7 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sally. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share