declare war
idiom
: to officially decide to fight or go to war
Congress has the power to declare war on/against other countries.
—often used figurativelyThe state has declared war on illiteracy.
Examples of declare war in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Congress could formally declare war, but has not done so since 1942.
—
David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025
Congress is the only branch of government that has the power to declare war, according to the U.S. Constitution, but presidents have stretched their own powers to engage in foreign conflicts in recent decades because the president can authorize strikes in defensive cases.
—Riley Beggin, USA Today, 19 June 2025
Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats alike have debated whether the Trump administration’s decision to bomb Iran’s three nuclear facilities on June 22 constituted an unofficial declaration of war – since Trump has not asked Congress to formally declare war against Iran.
—Andrea Stanton, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
But lawmakers note the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for declare war
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David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 27 June 2025
Congress is the only branch of government that has the power to declare war, according to the U.S. Constitution, but presidents have stretched their own powers to engage in foreign conflicts in recent decades because the president can authorize strikes in defensive cases.
—Riley Beggin, USA Today, 19 June 2025
Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats alike have debated whether the Trump administration’s decision to bomb Iran’s three nuclear facilities on June 22 constituted an unofficial declaration of war – since Trump has not asked Congress to formally declare war against Iran.
—Andrea Stanton, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
But lawmakers note the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for declare war
Cite this Entry
“Declare war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/declare%20war. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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