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
The Constitution’s authors believed the congressional power to declare war was the crown jewel that would save the nation from dictatorship and self-ruination.
—
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2024
Although the president is the commander in chief, the Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war.
—Sarah Binder, Foreign Affairs, 18 July 2024
Congress has given away its power to declare war to the president, handing over the ability to take the nation from a state of peace to a state of belligerency or co-belligerency.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2024
Ecuador, drug mafias declare war on each other Ecuador's new president, Daniel Noboa, and drug gangs declared war on each other Wednesday as soldiers patrolled mostly empty streets following a drug boss' prison escape that triggered an outburst of gang violence.
—Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 11 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for declare war 
Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2024
Although the president is the commander in chief, the Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war.
—Sarah Binder, Foreign Affairs, 18 July 2024
Congress has given away its power to declare war to the president, handing over the ability to take the nation from a state of peace to a state of belligerency or co-belligerency.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 7 July 2024
Ecuador, drug mafias declare war on each other Ecuador's new president, Daniel Noboa, and drug gangs declared war on each other Wednesday as soldiers patrolled mostly empty streets following a drug boss' prison escape that triggered an outburst of gang violence.
—Harold Maass, The Week Us, theweek, 11 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for declare war
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.
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“Declare war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/declare%20war. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
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