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
Their songs are sweeping catalysts: hymnals and rallying cries.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2025
Others in the party think Democrats should focus their rallying cries around the economy instead.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
So as Trump arrived at the Capitol, his GOP friends had little choice but to fall in line in a speech that was more rallying cry than policy proposals.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
The rallying cry comes as Big Tech platforms take a greater share of ad spending and as the rise of generative AI further threatens news sites' traffic and revenue.
—Kerry Flynn, Axios, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rallying cry
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Paul Grein, Billboard, 20 Mar. 2025
Others in the party think Democrats should focus their rallying cries around the economy instead.
—Julia Mueller, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2025
So as Trump arrived at the Capitol, his GOP friends had little choice but to fall in line in a speech that was more rallying cry than policy proposals.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 5 Mar. 2025
The rallying cry comes as Big Tech platforms take a greater share of ad spending and as the rise of generative AI further threatens news sites' traffic and revenue.
—Kerry Flynn, Axios, 27 Jan. 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 5 Apr. 2025.
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