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

And periodic ceasefires during the war sent global oil prices lower – only to rise again whenever those agreements have lapsed or run out. — Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

Pakistan, which played a key role in brokering a 60-day ceasefire in June, sent a high-level delegation to Iran on Monday to discuss ending the war, the military said. — ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026

The looming escalation comes as both sides missed a 60-day ceasefire window to reach a deal, closing off the formal truce mechanism aimed at ending the Middle East war now in its sixth month. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2026

Skintown follows best friends Vinny and Jonty who party, cut deals and plan to escape small-town life in Northern Ireland during the 1994 ceasefire. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 20 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