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
Examples of ceasefire in a Sentence
the two armies declared a ceasefire for the holiday
Recent Examples on the Web
The United States and Iran traded strikes overnight in one of the most intense bouts of conflict since the increasingly tenuous ceasefire between the two countries began in April.
—
Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 3 June 2026
The United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on April 7, but tensions have remained high, and the two sides have launched attacks on each other multiple times.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Defense Minister Israel Katz denied there was a ceasefire in Lebanon.
—Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
The question is how long all these buffers can last relative to the pace of ceasefire talks.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
The early ceasefires forged with some of the biggest Colombian rebel factions have largely broken down — and even when those ceasefires were in place, the criminal organizations exploited the pause in hostilities to go after each other in the hope of capturing more territory and resources.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
His death comes as scores of Palestinian laborers have been killed or arrested trying to enter Israel, and as violence flares in Gaza and the West Bank despite a fragile ceasefire.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
When the ceasefire was declared last October, Israeli forces occupied around half of Gaza's territory.
—James Hider, NPR, 1 June 2026
Israel’s ensuing offensive has killed over 72,800 Palestinians, including more than 900 since the ceasefire took hold last October, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
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Victoria Craw, Washington Post, 3 June 2026
The United States and Iran agreed to a ceasefire on April 7, but tensions have remained high, and the two sides have launched attacks on each other multiple times.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 June 2026
Defense Minister Israel Katz denied there was a ceasefire in Lebanon.
—Kevin Liptak, CNN Money, 2 June 2026
The question is how long all these buffers can last relative to the pace of ceasefire talks.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 2 June 2026
The early ceasefires forged with some of the biggest Colombian rebel factions have largely broken down — and even when those ceasefires were in place, the criminal organizations exploited the pause in hostilities to go after each other in the hope of capturing more territory and resources.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2026
His death comes as scores of Palestinian laborers have been killed or arrested trying to enter Israel, and as violence flares in Gaza and the West Bank despite a fragile ceasefire.
—Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
When the ceasefire was declared last October, Israeli forces occupied around half of Gaza's territory.
—James Hider, NPR, 1 June 2026
Israel’s ensuing offensive has killed over 72,800 Palestinians, including more than 900 since the ceasefire took hold last October, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
—ABC News, 1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ceasefire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceasefire. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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