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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in conflict
a lack of agreement or harmony
the siblings always seemed to be at war with one another
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to fight
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of war
Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Adams’s 2004 novel The Religion War tells the story of a man trying to stop a calamitous war between Christians and Muslims.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
Charlie warred against those spirits with wisdom, compassion and gentleness.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for war
Noun
The People’s Liberation Army does not have the means to win a major war so far from its shores.
—Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 14 Jan. 2026
Advertisement Adams’s 2004 novel The Religion War tells the story of a man trying to stop a calamitous war between Christians and Muslims.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
Its members would never war with one another.
—Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
Charlie warred against those spirits with wisdom, compassion and gentleness.
—Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for war
Noun
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Those presidents asked for permission to conduct hostilities because the supreme law of the land, the Constitution, unambiguously vests the war power in Congress.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
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Almost three years since the start of the Sudanese civil war, there are few signs of the hostilities ending soon, with experts fearing the world’s gravest humanitarian crisis could yet worsen.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Authorities said the display was likely the result of a conflict between criminal groups operating in the area.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
12 Jan. 2026
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Calvo said the city’s contract with consulting firm NCGA LLC raises potential conflict-of-interest concerns.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This was not a rare occurrence at the university, where the presence of many students depended on the outcome of factional battles in their countries of origin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
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In fact, filming the entire episode was quite the experience as the actress spent a lot of time arguing with herself as Maddie and Sara engaged in a battle of wills for control over the call center.—
Sabienna Bowman,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Fifty years ago, my father was a Vietnamese soldier who fought as an ally to the United States Armed Forces in Vietnam.—
Bao Phi,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Dickens’ appearance was during an ongoing back and forth fight between the city and MARTA over transit expansion in Atlanta.—
Riley Bunch,
AJC.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After more than a century of plunder and strife, under tyrants as diverse as King Leopold II of Belgium and Mobutu Sese Seko, the present-day DRC still occupies the dark heart of the continent in much of the world’s imagination.—
Holden Frith,
TheWeek,
9 Jan. 2026
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Located in the Horn of Africa, Somalia is one of the world’s poorest nations and has been beset by chronic strife and insecurity exacerbated by multiple natural disasters, including severe droughts, for decades.—
Omar Faruk,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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After sending the cheeseheads packing with the biggest playoff comeback in franchise history, Ben Johnson spiced up the rivalry with some salty language.—
Jori Parys,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
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As interbranch rivalry morphed into systemic partisan competition, a judiciary dominated by Republican appointees began consolidating its authority at Congress’s expense.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The candidacy challenge contends that Wilcox used the wrong form to file for office in December and left off information that was required.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Jan. 2026
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But the coalition of environmental groups contends the PSC cleared Georgia Power’s expansion without the data to show all of the new power plants are needed, at least for now.—
Kristi Swartz,
AJC.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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By 1900, only a precious few Blackfeet had made it through the gantlet of smallpox, warfare, starvation, and Christianization.—
David Treuer,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Drone use is increasing in Africa across various sectors, including by the military for surveillance and warfare like in Sudan, but also for social services.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“War.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/war. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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