battle cry

American  

noun

1. a cry or shout of troops in battle.

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

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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

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Etymology

Origin of battle cry

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

Casting a human loss in the language of insult revealed how little moral gravity has to register before it is turned into another battle cry.

From Salon • Dec. 21, 2025

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

In today’s real-world context, Mr. Kerry’s battle cry is silly and self-destructive.

From Washington Times • Dec. 26, 2023

Blue is a University of Michigan color, and “Go Blue!” is a battle cry and common salutation among Wolverine fans.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 1, 2023

However, where personal space is at a premium, tensions are apt to spike much more quickly than in a place where one’s battle cry reaches maybe ten neighbors instead of a hundred.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman