ceasefire

noun

cease·​fire ˈsēs-ˈfi(-ə)r 

variants or less commonly cease-fire

plural ceasefires also cease-fires

1

: a military order to cease firing

2

: a suspension of active hostilities

Synonyms of ceasefire

• truce
• accord
• armistice

Examples of ceasefire in a Sentence

the two armies declared a ceasefire for the holiday

Recent Examples on the Web

Against this backdrop, the Houthi announcement of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia amounted to the most serious escalation of Saudi-Houthi tensions since a tenuous ceasefire largely ended Yemen’s civil war in 2022. — Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026

Trump announced indefinite ceasefire When no deal was reached after two weeks, the president decided to hold off strikes further and announced an indefinite ceasefire. — Justin Fishel, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026

The statement reiterated Israel’s refusal to pull troops back to the original demarcation line defined by the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, which the Israeli military has since pushed farther into Gaza. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026

Since then, the ceasefire has collapsed, and the oil price has rebounded. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ceasefire

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer
• misfire

Kids Definition

cease-fire

noun

ˈsēs-ˈfī(ə)r

: a temporary stopping of warfare