MEANING
To make a sudden sortie from a defended position to attack an opposing force.
Use it for
offensive action by defenders; raids during a siege; sudden counterattacksReverse a siege's direction for a brief, risky attack.
Words that belong together
- sally forth
- sally out
- sally from the gate
On the page
The defenders sallied out while the besiegers changed their watch.
She ordered the cavalry to sally from the eastern gate.
They had sallied too far to retreat before daylight.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- sally / sallies
- Past tense
- sallied
- Past participle
- sallied
- Present participle
- sallying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- sally / sallies
- Present continuous
- am/is/are sallying
- Present perfect
- have/has sallied
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been sallying
- Past
- sallied
- Past continuous
- was/were sallying
- Past perfect
- had sallied
- Past perfect continuous
- had been sallying
- Future
- will sally / sallies
- Future continuous
- will be sallying
- Future perfect
- will have sallied
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been sallying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: fantasy. Often followed by out or forth; also used for setting out energetically, but the military sense is intended here. Verb (base / third-person singular / past / past participle / -ing): sally, sallies, sallied, sallied, sallying. Secondary count noun: sally/sallies, a sortie.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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