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
Others warn that empowering armed factions could trigger ethnic fragmentation, civil war or a Syria-style conflict inside Iran.
—
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
The nation’s centennial, in 1876, arrived in the wake of a civil war that had left some seven hundred thousand Americans dead.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The most recent redesignation came in 2024, which cited an ongoing civil war and humanitarian crises.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Western governments and banks had frozen billions of dollars of Libyan assets since the beginning of the civil war that year.
—Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
The nation’s centennial, in 1876, arrived in the wake of a civil war that had left some seven hundred thousand Americans dead.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The most recent redesignation came in 2024, which cited an ongoing civil war and humanitarian crises.
—Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 1 May 2026
Western governments and banks had frozen billions of dollars of Libyan assets since the beginning of the civil war that year.
—Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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The stabbing of two men in a Jewish neighborhood in London appears to be the latest in a series of antisemitic attacks in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the American-Israeli war against Iran, in late February.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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Thirty-two ships have been hit with missiles since the beginning of the war, resulting in 10 deaths and at least a dozen injuries, according to the International Maritime Organization, or IMO.—
Alejandra Jaramillo,
CNN Money,
6 May 2026
Noun
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Per a source, that cold war continued through the offseason.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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And that means that if the hot war ends, but Iran ends up in another cold war, that would be as fatal to the regime as the continuation of the hot war.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Minghella and a stellar cast never lose the tenderness amidst the epic sweep of a world war.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Fears that attacks on Iran could trigger a more widespread world war were unfounded.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Altman was briefly forced to step down from leadership of OpenAI in 2023 in part due to concerns about potential conflicts between his personal investments and his operation of the company, but was soon reinstated.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Instead, the data revealed a planet in flux where areas brightened explosively in one year and dimmed sharply the next; regions flickered in rhythms tied to oil booms, armed conflicts, and pandemic lockdowns.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
14 Apr. 2026
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Some of these invocations align with Hegseth’s recurring references to the Crusades in the Middle Ages – a centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims.—
Samuel Perry,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
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 13 May. 2026.
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