hot war

noun

: a conflict involving actual fighting compare cold war

Examples of hot war in a Sentence

fortunately, the cool relationship between the two nations never escalated into a hot war
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
China refuses to rule out the use of force to unify the island with the mainland, and a widening hard power imbalance across the Taiwan Strait is fueling concerns that Beijing could soon compel Taipei with the threat of a hot war. John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025 The developments have led to a heightened sense of uncertainty and stress among many Americans, while a hot war in the Middle East between Israel and Iran is sparking fears of a wider global conflict the U.S. could become involved in. Dominick Mastrangelo, The Hill, 17 June 2025 Iran clearly wants to de-escalate its hot war with Israel, which is now in its fifth day and ostensibly over a nuclear program Israel sees as an existential threat. Philip Elliott, Time, 17 June 2025 Despite sporadic efforts at peace talks, there are two hot wars in progress – between Russia and Ukraine, and between Israel and Gaza. John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hot war

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot war was in 1947

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hot war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20war. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

hot war

noun
: a conflict involving actual fighting
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!