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 This is particularly difficult in a hot war situation, like Ukraine, where weapons can go from concept to turners of the tide in a matter of weeks, and the other side must quickly invent countermeasures—or lose the war. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 2 Aug. 2023 As arguably the first hot war of the cold war, Korea was a proving ground for the US military and America’s sphere of influence. Lauren Kane, The New York Review of Books, 14 May 2022 Capitulation might be worth a try if the only alternatives were a catastrophic hot war or an endless and financially crippling cold war. Michael Beckley, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023 Even with Sweden’s membership resolved, President Biden will walk into Wednesday’s summit focused on how to answer Ukraine’s desire to eventually join NATO without dragging the entire alliance into Ukraine’s current hot war with Russia. Brian Bennett, Time, 11 July 2023 Of all the intractable issues that could spark a hot war between the United States and China, Taiwan is at the very top of the list. Brendan Rittenhouse Green, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2022 The last leader of the Soviet Union died on Tuesday at the age of 91, with Washington and the Kremlin on opposite sides of President Vladimir Putin's hot war in Ukraine, launched in part to avenge the Soviet collapse precipitated by Gorbachev's rule. Stephen Collinson, CNN, 30 Aug. 2022 There has been saber-rattling from other corners of the media and foreign policy establishment; as the conflict persists there will be further pressure, from some media quarters, to start a hot war with Russia without regard for what would certainly be profound consequences. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 2 Mar. 2022 But this has not silenced a growing chorus of Republican voices calling for the United States to essentially launch a hot war across its southern border, even as many of those same conservatives denounce American support for Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia's ongoing invasion. Rafi Schwartz, The Week, 21 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hot war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near hot war

Cite this Entry

“Hot war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20war. Accessed 29 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

hot war

noun
: a conflict involving actual fighting
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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