battle cry
noun
plural battle cries
1
: a shouted word, phrase, or sound used by a body of fighters before or in battle : war cry
… the Texans later defeated the Mexican army …, securing Texas' independence from Mexico. "Remember the Alamo" was their battle cry.—
US Official News
2
: a slogan, catchphrase, or motto that is used especially to rally people to a cause or to rouse people to action : rallying cry
… the Senator … has selected the battle cry that his listeners will understand and respond to.—William H. Grimes
She [softball coach Vickie Sax] added: "Our [team] battle cry all year has been 'All In!' …"—Kevin Stevens
Its purpose is to find asteroids in orbits that cross the orbit of the Earth. "Find them before they find us!" is the Spacewatch battle cry.—David H. Levy
Every graduate of Lincoln Elementary School for the past thirty-five years could remember standing at that table listening to Mrs. Granger's battle cry: "Look it up! That's why we have the dictionary."—Andrew Clements
Examples of battle cry in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The phrase also sometimes is used as a battle cry and has been employed by those with a nefarious agenda to instill fear of anyone who utters it and to raise concerns about Islam itself, according to Muslim scholars and civil rights advocates.
—Michelle Krupa, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
Stewart has characterized the film as a lyrical battle cry, designed to be a visceral experience for the audience that mirrors the subconscious ways memory lives within the human body.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2026
In 1776, independence replaced liberty as the patriot battle cry, but to Americans at the time the two words carried a common meaning: freedom under popular rule.
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
This is done with Taub’s sheer skills with the song styles varying from strong recitatives to insightful arias and battle cries.
—David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Battle cry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle%20cry. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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