as in civil war
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Recent Examples of holy war
Historians question the degree to which Cromwell personally intended to exterminate Catholics, although some of his followers considered the invasion of Ireland a holy war.
—
Literary Hub, 7 May 2025
While Tedesco calls for a holy war in response to the attack, Benitez takes a different approach, declaring that violence should not be met with more violence.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2025
After the September 11 attacks, evangelical American missionaries followed military tanks into Afghanistan and Iraq to convert Muslims as part of a holy war.
—Rozina Ali, The New York Review of Books, 31 Oct. 2024
Many Russians will come to believe that Russia is fighting a holy war against the West and NATO, and that Western sanctions are designed to make ordinary Russians suffer.
—Maxim Mironov, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for holy war
Literary Hub, 7 May 2025
While Tedesco calls for a holy war in response to the attack, Benitez takes a different approach, declaring that violence should not be met with more violence.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 22 Apr. 2025
After the September 11 attacks, evangelical American missionaries followed military tanks into Afghanistan and Iraq to convert Muslims as part of a holy war.
—Rozina Ali, The New York Review of Books, 31 Oct. 2024
Many Russians will come to believe that Russia is fighting a holy war against the West and NATO, and that Western sanctions are designed to make ordinary Russians suffer.
—Maxim Mironov, Foreign Affairs, 11 Mar. 2022
See All Example Sentences for holy war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy war
Noun
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Syria’s horrific civil war killed more than 500,000 people over a 14-year period starting in 2011.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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Sudan’s civil war has raged past the 1,000-day milestone with 150,000 people reportedly killed and more than 13 million displaced.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 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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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
“Holy war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy%20war. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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