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Synonyms

war cry

American  

noun

  1. a cry, word, phrase, etc., shouted in charging or in rallying to attack; battle cry.

  2. a slogan, phrase, or motto used to unite a political party, rally support for a cause, etc.


war cry British  

noun

  1. a rallying cry used by combatants in battle

  2. a cry, slogan, etc, used to rally support for a cause

"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 war cry

First recorded in 1740–50

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:

"Their war cry is 'let's live life, let's live it healthily, let's live well,' and obviously this fascinates me."

From Barron's May 5, 2026

“Warfare” wants to live in the dictionary shoehorned between war cry and war hawk.

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 10, 2025

Local resident Aileen Firth, a human resources officer, said: "Every weekend when you come down the street you will hear the war cry 'there's no money'."

From BBC Mar. 14, 2025

His war cry of “Let’s go!” in Spanish draws motivation for Alcaraz when he faces difficulty, and revs up his fans.

From Washington Times Apr. 28, 2023

The forebear dove, and I shouted a war cry.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

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