civil war

noun

Definition of civil warnext
as in war
a a state or period of fighting between groups of people in the same country a region that has had many civil wars

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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 civil war The ethnic standoff, first instigated by land disputes, adds another layer to the country’s ongoing civil war which broke out in April 2023 between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). — ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 The cost of taking them in Liberia began rebuilding after a 14-year civil war ended in 2003, but Wesseh said the country still needs major investment. — Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026 Prosecutors allege Al-Marimi and others carried out the bombing at the direction of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was ousted and killed during a 2011 civil war. — Michael Kunzelman, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026 Taiwan has controlled the Kinmen and Matsu islands, which lie just off the Chinese coast, since the Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists. — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
  1. war
  2. cold war
  3. world war
  4. conflict
  5. holy war
  6. limited war
Noun
  • Alongside analysts and external observers warning that Russia’s full-scale invasion could soon enter a more dangerous phase, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to escalate the war.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Iran is expanding its defense capabilities, an Iranian army commander said Wednesday, after much of the country’s equipment was degraded by US-Israeli strikes in the early days of the war.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • The report, based on in-depth interviews with single-family office principals and CIOs across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, captures a generational cold war playing out inside the world’s most secretive financial institutions.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026
  • Ahead of season 3, EW has launched three motion covers, each one starring a contender for the crown — as the show's cold war escalates into literal dragon fire.
    — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026
Definition of cold war
Noun
  • Born in 1946, in a country recovering from a civil war and a world war, Rodríguez entered a life marked by poverty in the southern Spanish village of Añora.
    — Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But for the most part, today’s athletes weren’t shaped by the Great Depression and a world war.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of world war
Noun
  • Meanwhile, outside the five districts that Democrats hope to switch, there are safely Democratic districts where progressive candidates are jousting with mainstream rivals, a subset of the national party’s ideological conflict.
    — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Add to this the conflict in the Middle East driving up gas prices, and the macroeconomic backdrop to back-to-school shopping is hardly optimal.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • Even a local Catholic priest launched a holy war against the school over its new athletic facility.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Commentary and opinions Bass clears the first hurdle, but if Pratt holds off Raman, the mayoral race could be a holy war, writes columnist Steve Lopez.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
Definition of holy war
Noun
  • In this scenario, which may already be coming to fruition, the meager hope is that the conflict transforms into simply a more limited war.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Many scholars panned the book, believing its 34-year-old author had overestimated the nation’s ability to keep limited war limited.
    — David E. Sanger, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Definition of limited war

Browse Nearby Words

civil unions
civil war
civil wars
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Cite this Entry

“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20war. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on civil war

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civil war

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