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
The global economy was still caught in the vise of the Great Depression, civil war was brewing in Spain, and the League of Nations was breathing its last breaths.
—
Vann R. Newkirk Ii,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
Three decades ago, Belkacemi and his wife fled Algeria to escape the civil war.
—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
During the Sudanese civil war, South Sudan’s elephant population plummeted from 100,000 to 5,000 over three decades, as herds of gentle bystanders got caught in the crossfire.
—
The Los Angeles Times,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
In fact, at the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1991, Syria established what amounted to absolute political, military and economic hegemony over Lebanon, during which thousands of Lebanese disappeared.
—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Vann R. Newkirk Ii,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
Three decades ago, Belkacemi and his wife fled Algeria to escape the civil war.
—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
During the Sudanese civil war, South Sudan’s elephant population plummeted from 100,000 to 5,000 over three decades, as herds of gentle bystanders got caught in the crossfire.
—
The Los Angeles Times,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
In fact, at the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1991, Syria established what amounted to absolute political, military and economic hegemony over Lebanon, during which thousands of Lebanese disappeared.
—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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Between February and August, fallout from the Iran war will have destroyed 800 million barrels of oil demand, JPMorgan estimates.
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Oil tanker traffic through Hormuz before the war might represent the high point for transits for the foreseeable future, said Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.
Noun
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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.
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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.
Noun
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Louis' boxing matches with Schmeling were viewed as pivotal international events in the context of the brewing world war with Nazi Germany.
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Horkheimer, amid the wreckage of world war, lost faith in progress; his dialectic negated one construct after another.
Noun
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His father, Manuel Cepeda, was a prominent figure in the Colombian Communist Party, and was assassinated in 1994 during a particularly bloody era in Colombia's internal conflict.
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The town’s predicament highlights the limits of any ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, and the lingering hardship faced by residents whose lives have been upended by years of conflict.
Noun
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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.
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By the conclusion of the second film, Paul had aligned with the native Fremen people of Arrakis to successfully defeat House Harkonnen and began a holy war against the Empire.
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.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20war. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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