hot war

noun

: a conflict involving actual fighting compare cold war

Examples of hot war in a Sentence

fortunately, the cool relationship between the two nations never escalated into a hot war
Recent Examples on the Web The latter could mean a real hot war with China given the strategic importance of Taiwan’s semiconductor foundries. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024 But Trump should not talk the United States into a new cold war with China or a hot war with regional competitors such as Iran. Andrew Byers, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2024 Containing trade wars is a start, but Beijing and Washington should also work to end or at least contain hot wars that could trigger a much wider conflagration. Odd Arne Westad, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2024 And only when the construction of the Berlin Wall commenced in August of 1961 did an opportunity arise to hold a hot war at bay and stave off some of the era’s most catastrophic potentials, including a nuclear holocaust. Dmitri Alperovitch, Foreign Affairs, 15 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for hot war 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hot war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot war was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near hot war

Cite this Entry

“Hot war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20war. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

hot war

noun
: a conflict involving actual fighting
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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