war paint

noun

1
: paint put on parts of the body (such as the face) by American Indians as a sign of going to war
2

Examples of war paint in a Sentence

a picture of a chief dressed in a headdress and war paint She piled on the war paint.
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 Brazilian government wanted to have a symbolic event close to the world-famous Amazon rainforest—where politicians will likely meet with Indigenous communities wearing suits, while taking photos wearing war paint. Gabriel Leão, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025 Since launching back in 2019, Storyteller has become a master of Sprinter 144 AWD camper vans, installing everything from beastly off-road packages, to stealthy war paint, to Swiss Army-grade interior versatility. New Atlas, 27 Mar. 2025 Their textured human faces, complete with war paint and a five-o’-clock shadow, were mercilessly rendered into a few similarly shaded squares. Yussef Cole, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025 On stage, drag artist Aphrodite Banks is a femme fatale: Caked in war paint, with a waterfall of braids whipping around her waist, she’s possessed of the white-hot glare and forthright confidence to match her Amazonian height and bearing. Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2023 See All Example Sentences for war paint

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of war paint was in 1826

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Cite this Entry

“War paint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20paint. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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