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Glite Dictionary
to make a sally

to make a sally

9.0
To go out quickly on a short trip with a clear purpose
  • idiom
  • Literature
translation icon : hacer una excursión
  • At dawn, the soldiers made a sally from the fortress to surprise the enemy.

Examples

  • The explorers hoped to make a sally beyond the familiar coastline and chart new territory.

  • After hours of studying, they decided to make a sally into the city for some fresh air.

  • Let's make a sally to the nearby park!

  • They decided to make a sally into the hills.

  • The explorers hoped to make a sally beyond the familiar coastline and chart new territory.

  • After hours of studying, they decided to make a sally into the city for some fresh air.

  • At dawn, the soldiers made a sally from the fortress to surprise the enemy.

Synonyms

to set out
vsto make a sally
66 2.4

To begin a journey to go to another place

is more energetic brief and adventure focused than merely starting travel
to sally forth
vsto make a sally
1 8.4

Leave a place quickly and with energy to start a journey

is the same idea but emphasizes a brief planned venture rather than sudden exit
to jaunt
vsto make a sally
1 5.1

To go on a short trip for fun

is more energetic and purpose driven than a pleasure outing
to sally out
vsto make a sally
9.0

Leave a place where you are hiding suddenly to attack or surprise someone

focuses on short adventurous ventures rather than military or attacking actions

Antonyms

to stay home
336 1.0

Be at home and not go out

How Energetic

to charge
128 3.6
to rush out
9 3.3
to make a sally
  • Literature
9.0
to set out
150 3.2

Surface Forms

make a sally infinitive

Morphology

make + a + sally

The noun 'sally' means a brief excursion and 'make' (to perform/undertake) combines with the article to produce 'make a sally' = to undertake a short excursion or sortie. This follows the regular English pattern 'make a + noun' and is directly derivable from the constituents, so learners who know the words can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Make a sally comes from a military image: soldiers inside a fort would suddenly rush out to surprise the enemy. The word sally meant a quick rush, so make a sally now means 'to go out quickly' for a short, energetic trip.