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
Didn't the Biden administration declare war on junk fees like Kraus' daily mandatory destination charge earlier this year?
—
Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023
The Senate on Wednesday rejected an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have clarified that Article 5 of the NATO treaty does not obviate the need for Congress to declare war.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 19 July 2023
Napoleon prompted Russia and Denmark to declare war on Sweden, which ultimately lost to the powerful coalition.
—Time, 11 July 2023
Those of a certain personality declare war on their own vulnerabilities, as my father did, fighting to hold onto his dignity.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2023
Adolf Hitler’s decision to declare war on the United States, four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in 1941, has long vexed historians.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
So shocking was the unprovoked attack that many expected Washington to declare war then and there.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 26 May 2023
On April 13, 2017, in one of his first appearances in a public forum as director, Pompeo spoke at the heavyweight think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies to declare war on WikiLeaks.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 10 Feb. 2023
On April 4, the Senate voted to declare war against Germany by a vote of 82-6.
—Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2023
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Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 4 Aug. 2023
The Senate on Wednesday rejected an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would have clarified that Article 5 of the NATO treaty does not obviate the need for Congress to declare war.
—W. James Antle Iii, Washington Examiner, 19 July 2023
Napoleon prompted Russia and Denmark to declare war on Sweden, which ultimately lost to the powerful coalition.
—Time, 11 July 2023
Those of a certain personality declare war on their own vulnerabilities, as my father did, fighting to hold onto his dignity.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2023
Adolf Hitler’s decision to declare war on the United States, four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, in 1941, has long vexed historians.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Feb. 2022
So shocking was the unprovoked attack that many expected Washington to declare war then and there.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 26 May 2023
On April 13, 2017, in one of his first appearances in a public forum as director, Pompeo spoke at the heavyweight think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies to declare war on WikiLeaks.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 10 Feb. 2023
On April 4, the Senate voted to declare war against Germany by a vote of 82-6.
—Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'declare war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near declare war
Cite this Entry
“Declare war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/declare%20war. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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