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
The injury led to a public war of words between Davies’ agent Nedal Huoseh, Bayern Munich executives and Canada Soccer over how the team handled Davies injury.
—
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Tuesday's meeting turned into a war of words.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The video sparked a firestorm when it was posted late last year and a war of words between Kelly and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
The war of words comes as Democrats are favored to make major gains in the 2026 congressional midterms and have a decent chance of flipping the House and maybe even the Senate.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for war of words
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Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Tuesday's meeting turned into a war of words.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Mar. 2026
The video sparked a firestorm when it was posted late last year and a war of words between Kelly and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
—Luke Barr, ABC News, 11 Feb. 2026
The war of words comes as Democrats are favored to make major gains in the 2026 congressional midterms and have a decent chance of flipping the House and maybe even the Senate.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for war of words
Cite this Entry
“War of words.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20of%20words. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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