cold war

noun

1

: a conflict over ideological differences carried on by methods short of sustained overt military action and usually without breaking off diplomatic relations

specifically, often capitalized C&W : the ideological conflict between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the second half of the 20th century compare hot war

2

: a condition of rivalry, mistrust, and often open hostility short of violence especially between power groups (such as labor and management)

Examples of cold war in a Sentence

the era of the Cold War

the cold war between the party's more liberal and conservative members

Recent Examples on the Web

As the Biden team frets about admitting that the United States is now in a cold war, Beijing is leading it into the foothills of a hot one. —Rush Doshi, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2024

But make no mistake, this cold war of words has been simmering in the background for over a decade. —Hazlitt, 30 May 2024

Much of the original cyclotron persists today; in the control room, silver dials that wouldn’t be out of place in a cold war–era thriller sit beside beige panels from the 1980s and blue banks of buttons from modern updates. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 14 May 2024

The long-standing cold war between Drake and Kendrick Lamar came to a head over the weekend in a gauntlet of diss tracks and rapid responses that challenged both rap heavyweights’ character in music and outside of it. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cold war

noun

: a struggle over political differences (as of two nations) carried on by methods short of war and usually without breaking off diplomatic relations