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

In addition, there are at least two notable cold wars, between the U.S. and China, and between the U.S. and Iran. —John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

Orson Welles’s 1955 cold war thriller Mr. Arkadin is the key to Wes Anderson’s psychological puzzle The Phoenician Scheme. —Armond White, National Review, 30 May 2025

The outcome of the Geneva talks was a temporary de-escalation of a wide-ranging cold war that is in fact much bigger than trade. —John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 May 2025

Nvidia is stuck in the middle, with Huang maintaining relationships with both sides in a deepening tech cold war. —Kristina Partsinevelos,chris Eudaily, CNBC, 21 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cold war

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• bookstore
• candour
• centaur
• claymore

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