1
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
the war was the result of ethnic tensions that had been building in the region for decades
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conflict
a lack of agreement or harmony
the siblings always seemed to be at war with one another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in battle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
only the latest round in the never-ending class war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to fight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of war
Maria Aspan, NPR, 3 May 2025
In mid-January, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, putting a temporary stop to the war in Gaza, which began after the attacks of October 7, 2023, and which has killed more than fifty thousand Palestinians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
This could result in a dangerous escalation of conflict between warring factions.
—Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for war
Noun
But his rebuke of Trump's policies answered one of Wall Street's biggest questions of this weekend: Would Buffett weigh in on the trade war and its massive disruptions?
—Maria Aspan, NPR, 3 May 2025
In mid-January, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, putting a temporary stop to the war in Gaza, which began after the attacks of October 7, 2023, and which has killed more than fifty thousand Palestinians.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 2 May 2025
Verb
State affairs like a papal funeral typically bring even warring political rivals together.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
This could result in a dangerous escalation of conflict between warring factions.
—Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for war
Noun
-
These meetings initially took place virtually and then in person across different capitals, seeking a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
-
But Putin had other ideas, tying a halt in hostilities to the West readmitting certain Russian banks into the West’s financial network.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Throughout the first fifteen months of the conflict, Israel’s behavior, specifically in refusing to allow sufficient amounts of aid into Gaza, drew international condemnation.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
2 May 2025
-
The state is embroiled in its own internal conflict with residents too.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
As soon as hot weather sets in, chickweed begins to slow its growth, often dying out by midsummer, but don’t think the battle is won.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 May 2025
-
As the battle for Champions League football hots up, Nottingham Forest have a must-win game against their local rivals Leicester City, having taken just seven points from their last six Premier League games.—
Holly Shand,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
Verb
-
Mothers whose children were killed by drunk drivers fight grief through Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or M.A.D.D.—
David Morgan,
CBS News,
9 May 2025
-
Families fight, yes, but there’s a mean streak here that feels misplaced.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
Attempting to rearrange these relationships is just going to cause marital strife for you.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2025
-
For all the chaos and strife of the tariffs in the opening act of his second term, Trump’s U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal, which went into effect in 2020, and his negotiations with China during his first term indicate some ability not just to pick economic fights but to try to settle them.—
Jennifer M. Harris,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
She is locked in a bitter rivalry with the Bears, whose growing presence and destructive ways threaten the land she is sworn to protect, by any means necessary.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
8 May 2025
-
But their rivalry over money and customers led to a bitter lawsuit in Miami federal court in 2011 that was resolved through a settlement the following year.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
7 May 2025
Verb
-
Trump, Zelenskyy meet privately ahead of pope's funeral At the time, Zelenskyy contended the Russian president needed stronger pushback from Ukraine's allies.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2025
-
Another theory contends that different features in nature, such as the pattern of leaf shadows moving on the forest floor under the sunlight, provide stimuli that is interesting but not overly demanding for humans.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Discover Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That was as close as Mrs. Obama got to directly addressing the rumors of marital discord.—
Claire Moses,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
-
But right now, there's no discord between he and I, which is great.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“War.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/war. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share