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

Before Game 4, their new approach was summed up in a blunt rallying cry delivered by Hernández. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024

Another reason for Galan’s downplaying of the presidential election outcome may well be that economic fundamentals—rather than political rallying cries—are driving European foreign direct investment decisions in the US. —Peter Vanham, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2024

These embraces have caught on as Democratic rallying cries this campaign. —Neal Rothschild, Axios, 21 Sep. 2024

No matter the rallying cry, the reason is the same: Being upset that the characters in video games no longer represent your interests. —Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1797, in the meaning defined at sense 2