holy war
noun
: a war or violent campaign waged often by religious extremists for what is considered to be a holy purpose
Examples of holy war in a Sentence
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Get ready for a 17-year time jump, as Timothée Chalamet's older, more jaded Paul Atreides continues to wrestle with holy war, his messianic status, and the fallout from opting to marry Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) rather than his Fremen girlfriend Chani (Zendaya).
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Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Huffman is eager to find out more about claims that the military is promoting its operation in Iran as a holy war.
—Alexei Koseff, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2026
And now religion has raised its ugly head in addresses to American troops about the conflict in Iran being a holy war and part of God’s plan.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
This was particularly the case during and after the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted eight years in the 1980s and was perceived and portrayed as a holy war.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
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Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Huffman is eager to find out more about claims that the military is promoting its operation in Iran as a holy war.
—Alexei Koseff, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2026
And now religion has raised its ugly head in addresses to American troops about the conflict in Iran being a holy war and part of God’s plan.
—Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
This was particularly the case during and after the Iran-Iraq War, which lasted eight years in the 1980s and was perceived and portrayed as a holy war.
—Eric Lob, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for holy war
Cite this Entry
“Holy war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy%20war. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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