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
Syria's civil war only ended when Assad fled the country in late 2024, toppled by fighters loyal to Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
—
Jane Arraf, NPR, 22 Jan. 2026
The incident has highlighted lingering security concerns for Washington in the wake of Syria's brutal civil war.
—Omar Abdulkader, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Sudan’s civil war has claimed the lives of civilians and displaced millions in Africa.
—William Lambers, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2026
The city symbolized the end of that regime, as it was sacked during a civil war in 1010, wiping it from the map.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Jane Arraf, NPR, 22 Jan. 2026
The incident has highlighted lingering security concerns for Washington in the wake of Syria's brutal civil war.
—Omar Abdulkader, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Sudan’s civil war has claimed the lives of civilians and displaced millions in Africa.
—William Lambers, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2026
The city symbolized the end of that regime, as it was sacked during a civil war in 1010, wiping it from the map.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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As tensions simmer, neighboring countries have been mediating between the two sides to avert a war, noting that any conflict could spread and destabilize the Middle East.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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The ceasefire pact attempted to halt the more than two-year-old war between Israel and Hamas.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Since that weekend, Brooklyn has been in a cold war with his parents.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
23 Jan. 2026
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America quickly pivoted from postwar euphoria and demobilization to planning for a long, cold war.—
Barry Scott Zellen,
Hartford Courant,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Islamist war on Christians in Africa is another front of this world war that stretches from Sudan in the north to Mozambique in the South.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Dec. 2025
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In fact, winning independence required a world war in all but name.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Experts say several factors have driven the sharp rise over the past year, including persistent concerns about inflation, ongoing global conflicts, and the possibility of interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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This was in direct conflict with the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This may not be surprising to some, but the holy war of words playing out in Mayor Mamdani’s new backyard is partly coming from mothers who not long ago held squarely centrist or even liberal beliefs.—
Hannah Seligson,
Vanity Fair,
9 Jan. 2026
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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
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 6 Feb. 2026.
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