as in wars
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 wars
All revolutions are ultimately civil wars, right?
—
Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
Then, back-to-back civil wars in the 1990s and 2000s cratered the economy.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
This week marks a decade since Merkel’s historic decision to open her country’s borders to the large numbers of migrants who were then arriving in Europe in search of refuge from civil wars or dire economic hardship.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
In the 20th century, China was devastated by civil wars, Japanese occupation, and then very bad policies which led to low productivity and widespread famine.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Nikki McCann Ramirez, Rolling Stone, 22 Sep. 2025
Then, back-to-back civil wars in the 1990s and 2000s cratered the economy.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
This week marks a decade since Merkel’s historic decision to open her country’s borders to the large numbers of migrants who were then arriving in Europe in search of refuge from civil wars or dire economic hardship.
—Sebastian Shukla, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
In the 20th century, China was devastated by civil wars, Japanese occupation, and then very bad policies which led to low productivity and widespread famine.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil wars
Noun
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For some whom the government now casts as enemies in the free-speech wars, that’s a worry.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
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Beijing launched a sweeping investigation into Mexico’s tariffs on Chinese imports, highlighting the widening fallout of Washington’s trade wars.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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John Cleese and Piers Morgan have renewed their social media hostilities over Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension and Donald Trump‘s state visit to the UK.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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For years, Netanyahu’s approach to warfare was characterized by brief and contained conflicts, especially in Gaza.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
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In 2020, during COVID-19 shutdowns, English didn’t have the schedule conflicts that once hindered him from starting his own coffee business.—
Lyndsay C. Green,
Freep.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Civil wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20wars. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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