war of words

noun phrase

: an argument in which people or groups criticize and disagree with each other publicly and repeatedly for usually a long time
Rival groups have engaged in a war of words over the new law.

Examples of war of words in a Sentence

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.
The back-and-forth has been highly publicized and even included a war of words between Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills. Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2025 Civilians here fear that today’s war of words between Islamabad and New Delhi will soon erupt into real conflict. Nic Robertson, CNN Money, 5 May 2025 Jets coach Scott Arniel and Blues coach Jim Montgomery exchanged a war of words about the hits following Wednesday’s game. Sarah Jean Maher, New York Times, 2 May 2025 Fort Worth council candidate Payton Jackson launched another salvo in her war of words against incumbent Chris Nettles, using a homophobic slur to describe the incumbent. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for war of words

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“War of words.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20of%20words. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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!