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
And the Constitution gives the exclusive power to declare war to Congress, not the president.
—
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 Feb. 2026
In fact, the power to declare war is exclusively given to Congress in Article I of the United States Constitution.
—CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and the president has not declared war.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
That’s sort of a crazy definition of war because our job is to initiate or declare war.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for declare war
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Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 Feb. 2026
In fact, the power to declare war is exclusively given to Congress in Article I of the United States Constitution.
—CBS News, 15 Feb. 2026
The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, and the president has not declared war.
—Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 2026
That’s sort of a crazy definition of war because our job is to initiate or declare war.
—NBC news, 18 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 26 Feb. 2026.
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