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as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
what began as a skirmish over disputed territory erupted into a conflagration that swept the continent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conflagration
In less than two weeks, the joint U.S.-Israeli effort accomplished what many had thought impossible, delivering an extraordinary setback to Iran’s nuclear program without igniting a wider regional conflagration.
—
Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025
Otherwise, his entreaties are just words that mean nothing and risk drawing the United States deeper into a moral conflagration that doesn't serve its interests.
—Zoltan Istvan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and almost two years into Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, both conflagrations have reached new heights.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Concerned citizens across the country offered their theories about the cause of the conflagration.
—Matthew Beddingfield, Scientific American, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Suzanne Maloney, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2025
Otherwise, his entreaties are just words that mean nothing and risk drawing the United States deeper into a moral conflagration that doesn't serve its interests.
—Zoltan Istvan, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2025
Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and almost two years into Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, both conflagrations have reached new heights.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Concerned citizens across the country offered their theories about the cause of the conflagration.
—Matthew Beddingfield, Scientific American, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflagration
Noun
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National Park Service officials say there was no way to predict the Dragon Bravo Fire would turn into an inferno, jump containment lines and rip through the Grand Canyon's North Rim, leaving a historic lodge and 100 other structures in smoking ruin.—
Stephanie Murray,
AZCentral.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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Around 1,000 firefighters are battling the huge inferno—which was only 7 percent contained at the start of the week—amid gusty winds and dry conditions.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The war ended with a lopsided Israeli victory, and with Iran scrambling to find more ways to punish and deter Israel if hostilities resumed.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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How did the two very different groups of men, their relations instantly tense from decades of hostilities and colonialist trauma, manage to work together toward a common goal?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Authorities believe the fire originated from lightning.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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At one point, Haggard said fire rescue treated Kehl, who had been acting erratically.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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All Quiet on the Western Front is a visually graphic portrayal of the horrors of war, earning four Academy Awards in 2023 — including Best International Feature Film.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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Presumably, this is because those players lost their ‘development’ period — their early teenage years — to the war.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Conflagration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflagration. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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