war 1 of 2

noun

ˈwȯr How to pronounce war (audio)
Definition of warnext
1
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups the war was the result of ethnic tensions that had been building in the region for decades

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conflict
a lack of agreement or harmony the siblings always seemed to be at war with one another

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in battle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another only the latest round in the never-ending class war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

war

2 of 2

verb

as in to fight

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 war
Noun
If vehicles are less fuel efficient, that means drivers will need to fill up at the pump more often — which is especially salient in a year of high gas prices due to the war in Iran. — Willa Rubin, NPR, 28 Sep. 2026 Country legend Dolly Parton never wanted a war to break out between her family and estate, going to extreme lengths to prevent it. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 28 Sep. 2026
Verb
Written and directed by Denmark’s Oscar-winning Anders Thomas Jensen, its warring brothers are played by Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Mads Mikkelsen. — Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 29 May 2026 Silicon Valley’s warring factions are pouring money into congressional primaries. — Nitasha Tiku, Washington Post, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for war
  1. hostilities
  2. conflict
  3. battle
  4. fight
  5. strife
  6. rivalry
  7. contend
  8. warfare
Noun
  • Investigators were still trying to determine how the two groups were related to each other and what prompted hostilities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated Moscow's demand for a comprehensive peace deal, not a temporary break in hostilities, following Ukraine's call for a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
    — HANNA ARHIROVA, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of hostilities
Noun
  • The indirect talks come as the conflict, which is entering its eighth month, has caused global economic damage and badly battered Iran.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Far more famous conflicts had a bond element, even a central one, Wigglesworth found.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • Chinese media reported that PLA forces deployed Type 99A main battle tanks alongside drones, uncrewed ground vehicles and helicopters.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Alabama and Mississippi State battle, and Underdog is offering new users a chance to use promo code FOXNEWS to earn up to $100 in bonus bets on a $5 wager.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of battle
Verb
  • Kosovo has criticized the verdicts as unjust, maintaining that the KLA, which Thaci had led before entering politics, fought against Serbian oppression.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026
  • His emphasis on fighting crime, his anti-left agenda and his confrontations with the Supreme Federal Court and Brazil’s political establishment directly appeal to issues that have mobilized Bolsonaro’s base for years.
    — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • After conquering a country in ruins and containing sectarian strife, Syria’s postrevolutionary government is facing its most serious crisis yet – at the pumps.
    — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The playoffs will conclude an eventful 2026 season fans at one point worried would either be abbreviated or eliminated entirely by labor strife.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of strife
Noun
  • Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel, who ripped off their rivalry bit from Fred Allen and Jack Benny!
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • At least for one day, one of the league’s great rivalries returns — with Kansas City remaining undefeated into its early bye.
    — Pete Sweeney October 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of rivalry
Verb
  • Georgia Power is adding an unprecedented amount of new electricity to its power grid, much of which will come from gas plants, which critics contend will produce more planet-warming greenhouse gases.
    — Kristi Swartz, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The color line As in Germany, historians contend that Southern Jews who wanted reforms, which wound up making worship more similar to a Protestant service, were responding to the overwhelmingly Christian makeup of the society around them.
    — Ashley Walters, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of contend
Noun
  • Built for multiple combat missions The approximately 9,700-ton destroyer is designed to support air defense, ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare missions.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
  • And just as RPOs seem to be spurring a new phase of space warfare, the possibilities for their beneficial, peaceful use are proliferating, too.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of warfare

Phrases Containing war

Browse Nearby Words

wants
war
war (against)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“War.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/war. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on war

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about war

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of perseverate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All