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

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An online war of words has tech leaders pondering a hollowing out of Silicon Valley, and millions of dollars are flowing to political committees engaged in the fight. Michael R. Blood, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026 While the game between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers ended on Saturday, the war of words has continued in the following days. Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 13 Jan. 2026 Milei’s public criticism of Tapia has led to a war of words between government officials and AFA. Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026 Online, Emirati and Saudi commentators are locked in a worsening war of words. Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for war of words

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“War of words.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20of%20words. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.

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