1
as in excursion
a short trip for pleasure
a morning sally out to see the historic monuments around the city
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2
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter
the final sally made her laugh, and that ended the argument
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sally
Jacky Wong, WSJ, 20 June 2022
In 2018, for instance, an American aircraft-carrier sallied into the Arctic Circle for the first time in 30 years, during a huge exercise in Norway.
—The Economist, 16 May 2020
In addition to this, the two foresters cite other assaults: the beetle colonies that waited out the newly mild winters in the dead wood left by the high winds, and which sallied forth aggressively this year to attack new stands.
—National Geographic, 13 Jan. 2020
From the school, convoys sallied forth every morning toward the half-dozen sawmills that lay beyond town, hidden behind high plank walls.
—Felipe Fittipaldi, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Cleander, who commanded the Praetorian Guards, ordered a body of cavalry to sally forth and disperse the seditious multitude.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 6 June 2019
In my own hopelessly romantic eyes, Dr. Hawking in the Copley Plaza will always be St. George in a wheelchair, sallying forth to slay the black-hole dragon.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2018
So many people going to the game or other festivities surrounding the game are waiting for temperatures to safely rise above freezing levels before sallying out.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 8 Jan. 2018
Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
The most comprehensive sally, of course, is the administration’s drastic and abrupt cut in funding by the National Institutes of Health.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Most recently, the Kremlin has settled on a strategy that involves legal sallies against international digital companies—including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2015
He was born into a rich family, and his father, the outer-borough real-estate developer Fred Trump, financed his early sallies into Manhattan real estate.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
The close relationship between Abe and Hudson really got under way after his first disastrous sally as prime minister in 2006–7, when everyone in Japan thought his political career was over.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 8 July 2022
Both nominees would be vital to Democrats push to revive Net neutrality, the latest sally in a decades-long battle over whether all Internet traffic should be treated equally by providers.
—BostonGlobe.com, 26 Oct. 2021
And consider compromise that can bring most everyone to the table in agreement, rather than insisting on a quixotic sally into a windmill that might flip a body into the air and leave it to fall.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021
As Claremont puts a great deal of effort into promoting constitutional principles and the Founding, this is a peculiarly off-base sally.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 21 Aug. 2019
Noun
That may last for a while as buyers who weren’t able to purchase an apartment during the depths of the pandemic restrictions finally sally forth.
—Jacky Wong, WSJ, 20 June 2022
In 2018, for instance, an American aircraft-carrier sallied into the Arctic Circle for the first time in 30 years, during a huge exercise in Norway.
—The Economist, 16 May 2020
In addition to this, the two foresters cite other assaults: the beetle colonies that waited out the newly mild winters in the dead wood left by the high winds, and which sallied forth aggressively this year to attack new stands.
—National Geographic, 13 Jan. 2020
From the school, convoys sallied forth every morning toward the half-dozen sawmills that lay beyond town, hidden behind high plank walls.
—Felipe Fittipaldi, National Geographic, 28 Aug. 2019
Cleander, who commanded the Praetorian Guards, ordered a body of cavalry to sally forth and disperse the seditious multitude.
—Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 6 June 2019
In my own hopelessly romantic eyes, Dr. Hawking in the Copley Plaza will always be St. George in a wheelchair, sallying forth to slay the black-hole dragon.
—Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2018
So many people going to the game or other festivities surrounding the game are waiting for temperatures to safely rise above freezing levels before sallying out.
—Ed Kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, 8 Jan. 2018
Verb
Prices of stocks and bonds, along with long-term interest rates, have oscillated up and down in response to the daily verbal sallies from the White House.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 27 Apr. 2025
The most comprehensive sally, of course, is the administration’s drastic and abrupt cut in funding by the National Institutes of Health.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Most recently, the Kremlin has settled on a strategy that involves legal sallies against international digital companies—including Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter.
—Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2015
He was born into a rich family, and his father, the outer-borough real-estate developer Fred Trump, financed his early sallies into Manhattan real estate.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
The close relationship between Abe and Hudson really got under way after his first disastrous sally as prime minister in 2006–7, when everyone in Japan thought his political career was over.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 8 July 2022
Both nominees would be vital to Democrats push to revive Net neutrality, the latest sally in a decades-long battle over whether all Internet traffic should be treated equally by providers.
—BostonGlobe.com, 26 Oct. 2021
And consider compromise that can bring most everyone to the table in agreement, rather than insisting on a quixotic sally into a windmill that might flip a body into the air and leave it to fall.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2021
As Claremont puts a great deal of effort into promoting constitutional principles and the Founding, this is a peculiarly off-base sally.
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 21 Aug. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sally
Noun
-
To get out into the wilderness, guests have their pick of adventurous excursions.—
Sarah Bruning,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
-
Some could be anticipated, like airfare and a wine tasting excursion, but there were also unpredictable expenses like Ubers, bar tabs, and more.—
Alicia Adamczyk,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
Noun
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During the day out, the two took a dip in the pool and appeared to share laughs throughout the day.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
11 July 2025
-
The two had several tough plays against one another, and shared plenty of laughs on the court.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
In 2024, Wimbledon’s viewership in India jumped 176%, hitting 36.3 million across TV and digital.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Here, Sheppard times the pass to perfection and jumps the lane, using his quick hands to blow up the action and spring in the other direction.—
Kelly Iko,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
Last year, Taipei tracked over 3,000 Chinese warplane sorties in its air defense zone, nearly double the figure recorded in each of the previous two years, according to PLATracker, a public dataset maintained by U.S. analysts Gerald C. Brown and Benjamin Lewis.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
-
In recent years, China, which has vowed to bring Taiwan under its control, by force if necessary, has stepped up military activities around the island, including simulated blockades and near-daily sorties across the median line of the Taiwan Strait.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Noun
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The Republican governor even poked a light joke at the energy surrounding the teams during his opening remarks.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
-
Sriram peppers her debut with offbeat characters, sometimes giving them names that are jokes in and of themselves.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
But in the new release, the pair tackle themes of connection, love and the state of the world that are strikingly familiar to current 24-year-old me.—
Grace Tucker,
The Enquirer,
9 July 2025
-
Passengers and flight attendants tackled the defendant and extinguished the fire.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
9 July 2025
Noun
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The comments were made at the start of Blur’s own comeback tour two years ago, which began in the band’s hometown of Colchester and included two nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
8 July 2025
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Hynes kicks off his tour on October 29, in Berlin, Germany, and continues with additional shows in Europe and his native England.—
Matthew Strauss,
Pitchfork,
8 July 2025
Verb
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If you are trapped by moving water, move to the highest possible point and call 911 if possible.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT
Updated July 14,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 July 2025
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Some of them talked about their despondency, their sense of being trapped in the relentless cycle of the tour, in which meaning can be hard to come by; even the best have to grow accustomed to disappointment.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sally. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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