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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Recent Examples of civil war
Meanwhile, the interethnic hostilities that led to the horrors of Sri Lanka’s civil war—which ended, in 2009, with the brutal defeat of the island’s Tamil minority—persist under his watch.
—
Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
All revolutions are ultimately civil wars, right?
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
Anderson's 1996 film depicts her as a mercenary during a second civil war in America.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
Then, back-to-back civil wars in the 1990s and 2000s cratered the economy.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
All revolutions are ultimately civil wars, right?
—Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
Anderson's 1996 film depicts her as a mercenary during a second civil war in America.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Sep. 2025
Then, back-to-back civil wars in the 1990s and 2000s cratered the economy.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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The titan Chronos, patriarch to all the gods, returns to get revenge for his imprisonment at the hands of his children, taking control of Tartarus and simultaneously waging war on the mortal world via Mount Olympus.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
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Mature private capital markets and strategic acquirers with heavy war-chests allow companies to stay private for longer, or forever.—
Aman Ghei,
Fortune,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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When Klara ends up in the local hospital’s anorexic ward, David and Laura must resort to even more desperate measures, which paradoxically help thaw out their own emotional cold war.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
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Nicki Minaj and Cardi’s confusing cold war sparked tributary disputes with Ice Spice, JT from the City Girls, and Boston’s Bia.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Two world wars attest to the need for a healthy, democratic Europe.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Maybe not something drastic like a world war, slavery or the Holocaust, but there’s always shady s–t going on.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Fearing conflict or rejection will only complicate things under the Sagittarius moon.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
28 Sep. 2025
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On one side of the conflict was Skeet and many of his immediate family members and longtime allies; on the other was Skeet’s own nephew, Constable Brandon Jones, who came to represent those who had run afoul of his own family.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In 1992, the government pressured Muslim clerics to declare a holy war against Nuba who opposed the regime.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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While Tedesco calls for a holy war in response to the attack, Benitez takes a different approach, declaring that violence should not be met with more violence.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In contrast, China has made targeted investments intended to give it an advantage in a quick, limited war, while keeping its overall defense spending relatively modest: Beijing’s defense spending has risen from five percent of U.S. levels in 1995 to 32 percent in 2017.—
Oriana Skylar Mastro,
Foreign Affairs,
20 May 2025
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Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in a limited war since last October, but Israeli forces have significantly escalated the scope of their attacks since the beginning of September in an attempt to force Hezbollah to stop its attacks on northern Israel.—
Mike Brest,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
30 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20war. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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