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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hot wars
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
Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot wars
Noun
-
Strikes in the region have continued in recent days despite the White House's assertion to lawmakers that hostilities have ended.—
Carlie Procell,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
The two sides had agreed last month to a ceasefire, but hostilities had continued.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Madonna has made music through various calamities that at the time felt world-ending — wars, political unrest, financial collapse — so the terrors of 2026 don’t seem to faze her.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
2 June 2026
-
The secret ingredient in sweets, sodas and cosmetics is entangled in one of the world’s deadliest and least-noticed wars.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
The chain of islands has become critical to Japan’s defense in the event of armed conflicts between China and Taiwan.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
During a Metropolitan Public Transportation Authority meeting in March, that officer, Eric Osnes, said his team now studies footage of assaults on drivers to learn lessons that may mitigate future conflicts.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hot wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20wars. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
