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
But such a hope was belied by the developments after the cold war ended as civil wars ensued in many parts of the world.
—
Debidatta A. Mahapatra, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
Each of these civil wars ended in peace agreements that paved the way for peaceful elections, yet insecurity and economic woes continue to plague the three nations.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
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
Debidatta A. Mahapatra, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
Each of these civil wars ended in peace agreements that paved the way for peaceful elections, yet insecurity and economic woes continue to plague the three nations.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil wars
Noun
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Presidents have historically leaned on their national security officials to inform the public about their wars.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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Also shattered was the community’s shaky sense of security, already strained by wars in the Middle East and what many say is soaring hatred of Jews.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The International Energy Agency estimates that Gulf countries have cut oil production by 10 million barrels per day due to supply constraints since the outbreak of hostilities in Iran.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
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Repairs at energy sites likely cannot begin until hostilities end and work sites can be secured, some analysts said.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Closed schools across the Gulf are a reminder that when conflicts escalate, children are the first to pay the price, the UN’s secretary general told the Security Council earlier this month, Arab News reported.—
Kelsey Warner,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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Consequences from geopolitical tensions and conflicts abroad aren't limited to just overseas.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Civil wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20wars. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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