Synonyms

war whoop

American

noun

a yell uttered in making an attack.

the war whoop of the American Indian.

war whoop British

noun

the yell or howl uttered, esp by North American Indians, while making an attack

"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 whoop

An Americanism dating back to 1705–15

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:

war whoop

On a short summer night, listen and you might hear a war whoop skitter out of the darkness along the riverbanks, followed by the scattering yips of coyotes on Mount Sentinel.

From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

Gone too was Michael Phelps’ silver medal snarl, replaced by a post-relay war whoop.

From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2012

Through the darkness the war whoop was heard fiercely yelling.

From Washington Post

After an initial guttural war whoop, Britain now seems to have sobered considerably.

From Time Magazine Archive

My little brother, Teddy, lets out a war whoop when Mom’s AM radio announces the closures.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023