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
Sudan’s civil war has marked 1000 days of fighting since the conflict erupted in April 2023.
—
Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Coulibaly grew up in Abidjan but moved to Italy in 2009 to live with his father due to the unrest caused by the civil war.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The five-issues series takes place in the Shattered Realm years after a civil war claimed one third of the population of the planet Imprimata.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Or the country could descend into civil war among its warlords.
—Andreas Kluth, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Coulibaly grew up in Abidjan but moved to Italy in 2009 to live with his father due to the unrest caused by the civil war.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The five-issues series takes place in the Shattered Realm years after a civil war claimed one third of the population of the planet Imprimata.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
Or the country could descend into civil war among its warlords.
—Andreas Kluth, Boston Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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American forces built about a dozen bases of varying size in Greenland during and after the war.—
Stephen J. Beard,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
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And analysts say that countries, including smaller developing markets, may be more wary of irking China, even to protect the growth of their own manufacturing sectors – especially when contending with a US trade war.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But the fallout lasted years, beginning Murphy's cold war with the show.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Dec. 2025
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Straubel founded Redwood Materials in 2017, which is rapidly expanding and has grown into the United States’ first line of defense for recycling critical minerals in the potential supply-chain cold war with China—now at a temporary truce.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
27 Nov. 2025
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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Authorities said the display was likely the result of a conflict between criminal groups operating in the area.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Calvo said the city’s contract with consulting firm NCGA LLC raises potential conflict-of-interest concerns.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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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
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In 1992, the government pressured Muslim clerics to declare a holy war against Nuba who opposed the regime.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New Yorker,
19 May 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 17 Jan. 2026.
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