Synonyms of hot war

hot war

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hostilities
• war
• conflict
• world war
• civil war
• cold war
• conflagration
• holy war
• limited war
• skirmish
• police action
• fighting
• battle
• warfare
• engagement
• combat
• action

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• peace
• disarmament
• demobilization
• demilitarization
• pacification
• truce
• calm
• tranquility
• peacefulness
• ceasefire

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of hot war

The same economy that has spent only two of the past 200 months in contraction is now staring down a hot war in the Persian Gulf, a fracturing trade system, and a Chinese president warning of moral as well as geopolitical collapse. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026

Iran for 47 years now has been at war — with the United States, with Iraq, economic war and now hot war. — Mishal Husain, Bloomberg, 13 Mar. 2026

There are hot wars in Ukraine and Gaza, cold wars on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait, and budding wars in Iran and parts of Africa. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026

But American diplomacy — backed up by our military might — is what kept us out of a hot war with the Soviet Union, has prevented war between China and Taiwan, and ended conflict between Egypt and Israel, to name a few. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025