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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But the military outcome and the political outcome are almost never the same thing, and the gap between them is where wars fail.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 Mar. 2026
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Linda Bilmes, a Harvard expert on the cost of wars, told me that the United States used up more than 20% of its entire worldwide stockpile of THAAD interceptors last year defending Israel during the 12-day war with Iran.—
Nicholas D. Kristof,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But since this conflict started, Iran has been attacking the energy infrastructure all around the Gulf, even among nations with no hostilities towards Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's Ruwais refinery, the largest in the Middle East, was shut as a precaution after a drone strike caused a fire, while operators in Fujairah temporarily suspended some terminal activity amid hostilities.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The president noted that past military conflicts have dogged his predecessors, mentioning former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Jimmy Carter’s handling of the Iran hostage crisis.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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Geopolitical conflicts and economic tensions this year have sparked a new wave of interest in gold as an investment.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Civil wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20wars. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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