war paint

noun

Synonyms of war paintnext
1
: painted marks and designs worn ritually on the face and body by members of various Indigenous American communities (as when going to war or for ceremonial dress)
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
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Once the mongooses have this scented war paint on, the battle starts. Big Think, 8 May 2026 Off the field, the players live together, sing songs in their native tongues and cover their bodies in war paint to keep traditions alive. ABC News, 2 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for war paint

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of war paint was in 1775

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Cite this Entry

“War paint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20paint. Accessed 11 May. 2026.

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