holy war

noun

Synonyms of holy warnext
: 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

Recent Examples on the Web
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Commentary and opinions Bass clears the first hurdle, but if Pratt holds off Raman, the mayoral race could be a holy war, writes columnist Steve Lopez. Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 Khomeini demonized the United States and Soviet Union as the Iran-Iraq holy war raged during much of his tenure. USA Today, 19 May 2026 By the conclusion of the second film, Paul had aligned with the native Fremen people of Arrakis to successfully defeat House Harkonnen and began a holy war against the Empire. Brian Welk, IndieWire, 14 Apr. 2026 Some of these invocations align with Hegseth’s recurring references to the Crusades in the Middle Ages – a centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims. Samuel Perry, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for holy war

Word History

First Known Use

1639, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of holy war was in 1639

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Cite this Entry

“Holy war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy%20war. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

holy war

noun
: a war or violent campaign carried on for what is considered a holy purpose

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