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
To declare war on immigrants, many of whom are fleeing persecution and violence fomented by past American interventionism, requires a powerful, blinding narrative strong enough to smokescreen the degradation and dehumanization at the core of the messaging.
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Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
The power to declare war does not belong to the president.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Only Congress has the power to declare war – not one unhinged president.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
So of course this was a military action, and pursuant to the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war to authorize acts that take place in this regard.
—NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for declare war
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Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
The power to declare war does not belong to the president.
—Jon Duffy, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 2026
Only Congress has the power to declare war – not one unhinged president.
—Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026
So of course this was a military action, and pursuant to the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war to authorize acts that take place in this regard.
—NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
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 9 Jan. 2026.
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