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
Russia’s deputy prime minister, Alexander Novak, said later Wednesday that his country was ready to support Syria in its reconstruction after years of civil war.
—
Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
There are also growing fears of civil war breaking out in Gaza.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Right now, that work is especially important in Syria, which has reported over 1,400 landmine casualties since the Syrian civil war ended in December, 2024.
—NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
But the author leaned upon another literary tradition, that of Latin American magical realism, in his tale of how a civil war in heaven was pulling guardian angels from their duties and plunging New York City into unrecognizable chaos.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Catherine Nicholls, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2025
There are also growing fears of civil war breaking out in Gaza.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
Right now, that work is especially important in Syria, which has reported over 1,400 landmine casualties since the Syrian civil war ended in December, 2024.
—NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
But the author leaned upon another literary tradition, that of Latin American magical realism, in his tale of how a civil war in heaven was pulling guardian angels from their duties and plunging New York City into unrecognizable chaos.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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The blackout at the power plant, occupied by Russian forces since the early days of the war, marked the tenth time the site lost connection to the grid since the military conflict began, according to the IAEA.—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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From trade wars to cyber threats, these forces have moved from the margins to the center of strategic decision-making.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Since that gathering in March, what had been a cold war has gone hot.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 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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The American Revolution was a world war fought in the age of sail.—
Sarah Botstein,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
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Jeff Bridges reprises his series role as Kevin Flynn, the guy who created this alter-tech world war.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In Warhead, Wright explains how armed conflict impacts every part of our brain, from the instinctive reflexes of our reptilian brainstem to the cognitive and metacognitive functions of the prefrontal cortex.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Oct. 2025
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Thomas warns, the square with Pluto is particularly challenging, representing unexpected hurdles, conflicts, and hardship thrust at us from left field.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The 76ers’ owner, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE), had been in a holy war with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and Comcast over building a standalone NBA arena in Center City.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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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
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 20 Oct. 2025.
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