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 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
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After the king attempted to arrest lawmakers in the House of Commons in 1642, hostilities erupted into the English Civil War, which ended with victory for the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Israel’s ability to weaken major non-state actors aligned with Tehran, including Lebanese Hezbollah and Gaza’s Hamas, opened the door for direct hostilities between the two archrivals.—
Alexander Langlois,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Although fertility trends are notoriously hard to predict, and baby booms are often seen after wars end, Ippolitova said the country's low fertility rate could still trouble the Ukrainian economy in the future.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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To capitalize on this yearning for tradition, and to bind sumo’s fortunes to the state, the sport’s governing body aligned itself with the rising tide of nationalism that took hold of Japan after its victories in wars against the Chinese and the Russians.—
Joshua Hunt,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Rapid Rehousing also teaches students about managing personal finances, understanding lease agreements, handling roommate conflicts, and planning for housing after graduation.—
CalMatters,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
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As the play weaves through time, the focuses on the actions done for the benefit of Joe’s family, and his wife Kate’s moral compass, creating brutal conflicts.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hot wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20wars. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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