war zone

noun

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of war zone

1 : a zone in which belligerents are waging war; broadly : an area marked by extreme violence

2 : a designated area especially on the high seas within which rights of neutrals are not respected by a belligerent nation in time of war

Recent Examples of war zone from the Web

In the span of two weeks, the island chain was hit by back-to-back Category 5 storms, causing the main island of Tortola to look, in some people’s estimation, like a war zone.

— chabeli herrera, miamiherald, "Two monster hurricanes battered these Caribbean islands. Now, they’re back in business | Miami Herald," 16 Apr. 2018
Where his previous guest appearances were about his living in Iraq and conditions in a war zone, this was all about the deadly bombing.

— susan snyder, Philly.com, "An Iraqi man's bond with a Penn State professor started with an email. Then U.S. forces bombed his house.," 13 Apr. 2018
The soldiers perform airport-like security checks on Syrians who come in for treatment and are on call to respond if the clinic is caught in the crossfire of the war zone.

— shria rubin, USA TODAY, "These evangelicals in Israel are on a mission to win the hearts and minds of Syrians," 10 Apr. 2018
Despite international efforts to stop space from becoming a war zone, some experts believe that the militarization of space is practically inevitable.

— beatrice dupuy, Teen Vogue, "Experts Explain Why Some Are Concerned About a New Cold War Space Race," 10 Apr. 2018
It’s easier to be in a war zone than live life out here.

— aaron gell, Longreads, "Did Brian Easley Have to Die?," 9 Apr. 2018
The night is loud with sirens, and Steve Bannon's neighborhood resembles a war zone.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Looking for Trump in all the wrong places," 12 Feb. 2018
Many military officials consider stabilization operations vital to security in former war zones.

— michael r. gordon, WSJ, "Trump Tells Military Commanders to Finish ISIS Fight in Syria Quickly," 4 Apr. 2018
One extra day in a war zone For many of these Yemenis, these jobs are lifelines for hundreds back home.

— taylor luck, The Christian Science Monitor, "For Yemenis, Arab world's refugees-come-lately, Jordan offers little relief," 29 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'war zone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of war zone

1914

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