war chest

noun

: a fund accumulated to finance a war
broadly : a fund earmarked for a specific purpose, action, or campaign

Examples of war chest in a Sentence

The candidate held fund-raising dinners to build up his war chest.
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.
From logistics companies, restaurant chains, convenience stores and even farms, some VC investors have been allocating more of their capital to traditional sectors and businesses, but without the war chest or type of operational involvement typical of private equity firms. Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 25 Apr. 2025 The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee did not invest in the race, but Weil had a significant war chest after tapping into progressive rage across the country, raising 10 times more money than Fine, according to federal campaign finance records. Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2025 Trump had won both districts by huge margins last year, but the Democratic candidates have raised large war chests and appear on track to close that gap considerably. Mike Lillis, The Hill, 27 Mar. 2025 Earle-Sears has about a third of Spanberger’s war chest at $2.1 million but will have the support of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA). CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Spanberger is a centrist Democrat who was critical of former President Joe Biden. Ross O'Keefe, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for war chest

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of war chest was in 1871

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Cite this Entry

“War chest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20chest. Accessed 12 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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