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

Israel's strikes on Gaza have continued despite a ceasefire deal with Hamas in October 2025, leading to the deaths of more than 1,600 Palestinians. — Arkansas Online, 13 Nov. 2026

Israel has carried out near-daily strikes in Gaza despite a ceasefire agreement with the militant group Hamas that took effect in October 2025. — Kareem Chehayeb, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that wider European security talks should only start once a ceasefire has been achieved in Ukraine. — Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2026

Russia-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations stall Negotiators appeared to make little progress in talks between Russia and Ukraine to agree a durable ceasefire, as the two countries hammered each other with strikes overnight. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 12 Nov. 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