as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
fortunately, the cool relationship between the two nations never escalated into a hot war
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Recent Examples of hot war
The latter could mean a real hot war with China given the strategic importance of Taiwan’s semiconductor foundries.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
The Rundown Trump's Looming War for a Key Trade Route Will Be Costly
As President Donald Trump seeks to assert U.S. influence across the globe by implementing stiff tariffs and threatening to seize the Panama Canal, his first economically motivated hot war looms in the turbulent seas off Yemen.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
Trump’s demands could in fact push the government of Mexico toward a hot war with a heavily armed and lethal group of organized crime cartels, destabilizing the country and exacerbating the very border crisis the policy also intends to address.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
More recently, by supplying arms and munitions to Ukraine NATO has engaged in a proxy hot war against Russia.
—Shane Croucher, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hot war
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
The Rundown Trump's Looming War for a Key Trade Route Will Be Costly
As President Donald Trump seeks to assert U.S. influence across the globe by implementing stiff tariffs and threatening to seize the Panama Canal, his first economically motivated hot war looms in the turbulent seas off Yemen.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025
Trump’s demands could in fact push the government of Mexico toward a hot war with a heavily armed and lethal group of organized crime cartels, destabilizing the country and exacerbating the very border crisis the policy also intends to address.
—Dewardric L. McNeal, CNBC, 3 Feb. 2025
More recently, by supplying arms and munitions to Ukraine NATO has engaged in a proxy hot war against Russia.
—Shane Croucher, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for hot war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot war
hostilities
Noun
-
These meetings initially took place virtually and then in person across different capitals, seeking a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Apr. 2025
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But Putin had other ideas, tying a halt in hostilities to the West readmitting certain Russian banks into the West’s financial network.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hot war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20war. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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