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
The strongest works in The New Grotesque ingloriously depict the female body as qualified and discarded in equal measure, a battlefield on which wars over propriety are fought. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 15 July 2026 China has largely shrugged off wider economic impacts from the Iran war as soaring energy prices pushed up global inflation. — Chan Ho-Him, Fortune, 15 July 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
  • Renewed hostilities in the Persian Gulf also complicate the resumption of refining in the Middle East.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 July 2026
  • Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, a post-Vietnam War law, the president must notify Congress within 48 hours of the start of military hostilities.
    — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of hostilities
Noun
  • The oil crisis brought on by the conflict in Iran has also boosted demand for China’s clean energy technology such as batteries and electric vehicles, as major energy importers have sought ways to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
    — Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • This puts the big conflict of the episode into a different sort of relief.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • True, nothing so grand as a massive dragon and naval battle took place, but seeing Rhaenyra start to change into someone almost unrecognizable from her younger, more innocent self was compelling in a deeper way.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • There have been naval battles and beheadings and aerial battles and, well, more beheadings.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 6 July 2026
Definition of battle
Verb
  • Defense attorneys unsuccessfully fought the public release of the statements from Twiggs and the chat room messages.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Environmental advocates and leaders of Native tribes, who have been fighting the project, criticized the decision.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of fight
Noun
  • The transfer of the Chelsea art space is only the epilogue for Marlborough’s multi-year breakdown—the gallery’s closure in 2024 came after years of escalating strife and discord.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 9 July 2026
  • When her parents — the wonderful June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott — fall into professional reputational strife, the family is forced to relocate to Seattle to rebuild their lives.
    — Scarlett Harris, IndieWire, 6 July 2026
Definition of strife
Noun
  • The TikTok edits, the outfit identification threads, the contestant rivalries trending on X by the end of an episode, all of it turns 60 minutes of passive viewing into a multi-platform conversation that runs all week.
    — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Rattín’s defiant gesture at Wembley also marked the beginning of the football rivalry between Argentina and England.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Definition of rivalry
Verb
  • On the northern portion, the Assessor’s Office contended that a private lake was complete, and the Moyles had put in infrastructure improvements, such as a residential road, sidewalks and electrical boxes.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 13 July 2026
  • But Mayo contended that the more important development this quarter might be happening away from Wall Street.
    — Hugh Son, CNBC, 13 July 2026
Definition of contend
Noun
  • Both Russian and Ukrainian forces employ thousands of drones for reconnaissance, strike missions, electronic warfare, and logistics.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 10 July 2026
  • Italy and Poland cracked down on alleged spying by Russia, moves that come as analysts warned that the Kremlin may be looking to expand its use of hybrid warfare as its battlefield efforts in Ukraine stall.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 10 July 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 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on war

Nglish: Translation of war for Spanish Speakers

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 obdurate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All