rallying point

noun

plural rallying points
: someone or something that makes people join together to support a person, cause, etc. or that rouses people to action
In the wake of his resignation, Benedict has become a rallying point for conservatives who have opposed Pope Francis.Chris Stevenson
… Peter Singer, whose 1975 book Animal Liberation was a rallying point for critics of livestock farming and animal research.Julian Koplin
A poem titled "A Record of History" opens with the death of Li Wenliang, a doctor in Wuhan who was punished for trying to alert others about the dangers of the coronavirus. His death became a rallying point for freedom of speech and transparency.Lily Kuo

Examples of rallying point in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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For the Suns, the officiating debate may serve as a rallying point heading into a must-win stretch on their home floor. Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026 But the findings highlight a rallying point for many planetary scientists. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026 Pochettino used the 2025 Gold Cup last summer as a rallying point for the program. Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 24 June 2026 His incarceration became a rallying point for the global anti-apartheid movement. Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for rallying point

Word History

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rallying point was in 1774

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Cite this Entry

“Rallying point.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rallying%20point. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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