truce

1 of 2

noun

1
: a suspension of fighting especially of considerable duration by agreement of opposing forces : armistice, ceasefire
2
: a respite especially from a disagreeable or painful state or action

truce

2 of 2

verb

truced; trucing

intransitive verb

: to make a truce

transitive verb

: to end with a truce

Examples of truce in a Sentence

Noun There's been an uneasy truce between her and her parents for the past several months. both sides agreed to a 24-hour truce beginning at midnight on Christmas Eve
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.
Noun
The move reignites a trade war between the world's two largest economies after the United States and China had for months maintained a truce that has kept tariffs on each other flat. Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 11 Oct. 2025 After agreeing on a trade truce in Geneva, US officials had expected China to ease export restrictions on those minerals. Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025 The move comes as the two governments continue to hash out a trade truce that has dragged Nvidia and other tech companies as potential bargaining chips. Gina Chon, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025 Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Thursday urged the international community to turn towards Lebanon following the Gaza deal, seeking reinforcement of Israel's truce. Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for truce

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English trewes, plural of trewe agreement, from Old English trēow fidelity; akin to Old English trēowe faithful — more at true entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of truce was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Truce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truce. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

truce

noun
ˈtrüs
1
: a temporary stopping of fighting (as in a war)
2
: a short rest especially from something unpleasant

More from Merriam-Webster on truce

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