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 if that’s true, what would prohibit Congress from just abdicating all responsibility to regulate foreign commerce, for that matter, declare war, to the president.
—
Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Article 1 of the Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to declare war.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Kaine, a longtime proponent of Congress' powers to declare war, filed the resolution late Thursday, a move that will force the Senate to take up the legislation after a 10-day waiting period.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Assuming the British Prime Minister doesn’t declare war or arrange to have one of them assassinated or something!
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for declare war
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Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
Article 1 of the Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to declare war.
—Brian Bennett, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Kaine, a longtime proponent of Congress' powers to declare war, filed the resolution late Thursday, a move that will force the Senate to take up the legislation after a 10-day waiting period.
—Claudia Grisales, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
Assuming the British Prime Minister doesn’t declare war or arrange to have one of them assassinated or something!
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 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 28 Nov. 2025.
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