war cry

noun

plural war cries

1

: a shouted word, phrase, or sound used by a body of fighters before or in battle : battle cry

Yelling and shouting fearsome war cries, the attackers leaped from the ditch, peppering the ramparts with a hail of arrows, spears and stones.

—Brian Jaques

2

: a slogan, catchphrase, or motto that is used especially to rally people to a cause or to rouse people to action : rallying cry

Certainly, the NIMBY war cry is being heard in more than my town. The 2006 Saint Index, … which analyzes attitudes toward real estate development, found that twice as many Americans actively oppose development as support it.

—Katherine Field

Examples of war cry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Proximus uses it as a war cry against his own people, dishonoring Caesar’s attempt at unanimity. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2024

Native Maoris flown in from the Motherland also raised the roof with a Haka and war cries that carried across the harbor, goading their sailors to victory. —George Allen, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2024

Not even Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth, which is famous for its family-style chicken dinners and has a seating capacity of 1,500, got as much as Conlan Abu, the company named after what Moore has said was his family’s Irish war cry. —Jennifer Dixon, Detroit Free Press, 12 June 2024

The Past Battle cries: How ancient soldiers used sound to frighten and confuse their enemies Bloodcurdling war cries, shrieking elephants, and whistling arrows all made soldiers flee in terror. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

war cry

noun

: a cry or yell used by fighters in battle