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Synonyms

battle cry

American  

noun

  1. a cry or shout of troops in battle.

  2. the phrase or slogan used in any contest or campaign.


battle cry British  

noun

  1. a shout uttered by soldiers going into battle

  2. a slogan used to rally the supporters of a campaign, movement, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of battle cry

First recorded in 1805–15


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It has become something of a battle cry for his squad during the tournament and even appears on a motivational poster in his office.

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

“God wills it” was a battle cry of Christian crusaders during the Middle Ages.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

With Zoë, she offers a generational battle cry: “Rise my post-menopausal sisters and fight; you have nothing to lose but your culturally imposed feelings of irrelevance.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2025

Olsen: The song also includes the moment that’s known as Elphaba’s battle cry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024

After that night, wrote Taylor Branch, “Fill up the jails” was King’s new battle cry.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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