as in cold war
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Recent Examples of limited war
In contrast, China has made targeted investments intended to give it an advantage in a quick, limited war, while keeping its overall defense spending relatively modest: Beijing’s defense spending has risen from five percent of U.S. levels in 1995 to 32 percent in 2017.
—
Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in a limited war since last October, but Israeli forces have significantly escalated the scope of their attacks since the beginning of September in an attempt to force Hezbollah to stop its attacks on northern Israel.
—Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Sep. 2024
Western policymakers in Washington also believe that Iran is relatively satisfied with the more limited war’s outcome so far: The Hamas attacks seriously undermined diplomacy meant to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
—Matt Bradley, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023
But the fight to capture it risks putting Israel on a collision course with the Biden administration, which has called on Israel to minimize civilian casualties and ease humanitarian deprivation in Gaza, and to hew to a more limited war aim of expelling Hamas from power.
—Gordon Lubold, WSJ, 7 Dec. 2023
Many scholars panned the book, believing its 34-year-old author had overestimated the nation’s ability to keep limited war limited.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
And as always, there’s no guarantee that a limited war would stay limited.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in a limited war since last October, but Israeli forces have significantly escalated the scope of their attacks since the beginning of September in an attempt to force Hezbollah to stop its attacks on northern Israel.
—Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Sep. 2024
Western policymakers in Washington also believe that Iran is relatively satisfied with the more limited war’s outcome so far: The Hamas attacks seriously undermined diplomacy meant to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
—Matt Bradley, NBC News, 14 Dec. 2023
But the fight to capture it risks putting Israel on a collision course with the Biden administration, which has called on Israel to minimize civilian casualties and ease humanitarian deprivation in Gaza, and to hew to a more limited war aim of expelling Hamas from power.
—Gordon Lubold, WSJ, 7 Dec. 2023
Many scholars panned the book, believing its 34-year-old author had overestimated the nation’s ability to keep limited war limited.
—David E. Sanger, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
And as always, there’s no guarantee that a limited war would stay limited.
—Joshua Keating, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for limited war
Noun
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Per a source, that cold war continued through the offseason.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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And that means that if the hot war ends, but Iran ends up in another cold war, that would be as fatal to the regime as the continuation of the hot war.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Minghella and a stellar cast never lose the tenderness amidst the epic sweep of a world war.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
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Fears that attacks on Iran could trigger a more widespread world war were unfounded.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The water conflict had deep roots in the country's civil war, which pitted the military and Ladino elites against Mayan indigenous groups.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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That country is now in its fourth year of a civil war that has killed at least 59,000 people.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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By the conclusion of the second film, Paul had aligned with the native Fremen people of Arrakis to successfully defeat House Harkonnen and began a holy war against the Empire.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
14 Apr. 2026
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Some of these invocations align with Hegseth’s recurring references to the Crusades in the Middle Ages – a centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims.—
Samuel Perry,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Limited war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/limited%20war. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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