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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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
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The two sides had agreed last month to a ceasefire, but hostilities had continued.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Noun
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These conflicts included wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Iran and Israel; and disputes between India and Pakistan.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
9 June 2026
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Today’s gerrymandering wars are nothing other than an attempt by both parties to predetermine the outcome of elections.—
Frederic J. Fransen,
Boston Herald,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Its Acadian, Creole and maritime narratives reveal how global conflicts and local landscapes shaped the Gulf South.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
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That new reality is the result of Iran’s relentless efforts to link the fate of both conflicts, and of the increasingly diverging priorities of the US president and the Israeli prime minister.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hot wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20wars. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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