1
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
the war was the result of ethnic tensions that had been building in the region for decades
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conflict
a lack of agreement or harmony
the siblings always seemed to be at war with one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in battle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
only the latest round in the never-ending class war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to fight
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of war
Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
And who better to lead a conversation with Nguyen than Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong, whose parents also fled Vietnam after the war and settled in San Jose.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
Charlie warred against those spirits with wisdom, compassion and gentleness.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for war
Noun
And in a war that has largely stalled, symbols like this matter.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
And who better to lead a conversation with Nguyen than Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong, whose parents also fled Vietnam after the war and settled in San Jose.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
Its members would never war with one another.
—Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
Charlie warred against those spirits with wisdom, compassion and gentleness.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for war
Noun
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What Happens Next The current lull in hostilities may be more strategic than permanent, offering a brief window for both sides to reassess and recalibrate.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
One can be sure that the utility of having hostilities with Venezuela for this case is not lost on the administration.—
David Smilde,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As is often the case when Arsenal and Chelsea meet, this match had the potential to be one of those gloriously uninhibited conflicts.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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As for South Sudan, a senior United Nations official said earlier this week that the ongoing conflict in Sudan is causing destabilization in South Sudan, including armed clashes and food insecurity.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Davidson Wildcats’ men’s basketball team hunted the three-ball early and often in the 40th edition of the battle for the Hornets’ Nest, connecting frequently on the way to a 62-55 victory over the Charlotte 49ers on Tuesday night.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Nov. 2025
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In a battle of NFC behemoths, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (7-2) escaped Green Bay with a 10-7 win.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Barton gave the jury the impression of a man prepared to go into daily combat on numerous fronts, constantly fighting one battle after another, in service of his principles.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Players fought, fought, fought, gave us every chance in the world.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Much of this strife, including throughout the 1967-1970 civil war and subsequent clashes over the decades, has also been closely tied to feuds across ethnic and territorial lines.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Things kick off with a bit of inter-family strife, involving a young predator named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi).—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In recent decades, Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The Fighting Irish have absolutely dominated the rivalry in recent years, taking down the Panthers with a 58-7 final score in 2023 and a 45-3 final score in 2020.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Many contend that those targeted during the purges were not communists but ethnic Chinese, or anyone with left wing views.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Anderson himself is expected to seriously contend for his first-ever Oscar victory, after 11 prior noms, in both the directing and writing categories.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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European allies accuse Russia of waging a campaign of hybrid warfare against them, of which the disruptive airspace violations are a part, along with sabotage plots, cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and more.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
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Developed for the Swedish Navy and aligned with NATO interoperability standards, the A26 is engineered for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as long-range precision strikes and seabed warfare.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“War.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/war. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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