sally
Other forms: sallied; sallies
A sally is a military action, a sudden charge in the direction of the enemy. A sally sometimes has the advantage of taking the opposing army by surprise.
When soldiers who have been on the defensive, having retreated to a foxhole or fort, make an abrupt offensive attack on their opponents, it's a sally. Another word for this kind of sally is a sortie. You can also call a sudden funny remark or comeback a sally, especially during a witty, back-and-forth, or bantering kind of conversation. The word comes from the Middle French saillie, "a rushing forth," from the Latin salire, "to leap."
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a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their positionsynonyms: sortie
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witty remark
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a venture off the beaten path“a sally into the wide world beyond his home”synonyms: sallying forthtype of:ventureany venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
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Vocabulary lists containing sally
Check out these fun and challenging words that appeared as correct answers in Wordle in 2024.
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