as in makeup
preparations intended to beautify the face
when I was young, I loved to watch Mom put on her war paint before a fancy evening out
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of war paint
On stage, drag artist Aphrodite Banks is a femme fatale: Caked in war paint, with a waterfall of braids whipping around her waist, she’s possessed of the white-hot glare and forthright confidence to match her Amazonian height and bearing.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2023
This is my war paint.
—Kelly Boutsalis, refinery29.com, 22 June 2021
My father used to call it war paint.
—Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 30 Apr. 2021
Military news stories throughout the Iraq war paint a similarly sanguine picture.
—Andrew Shaver, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2015
See All Example Sentences for war paint
Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2023
This is my war paint.
—Kelly Boutsalis, refinery29.com, 22 June 2021
My father used to call it war paint.
—Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 30 Apr. 2021
Military news stories throughout the Iraq war paint a similarly sanguine picture.
—Andrew Shaver, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2015
See All Example Sentences for war paint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for war paint
Noun
-
And many of her makeup looks are not really designed to be worn out to a party, as the prosthetics can get pretty hot and sometimes even impair her visibility.—
Luke Chinman,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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In pictures shared on Instagram, Lovato looks unrecognizable in bright white face makeup and half her hair covered by a bald cap.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Guest-favorite activities include bike light parades, karaoke, and paint nights.—
Maggie Downs,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
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The debris and spacecraft in LEO can travel at hypersonic speeds, meaning even a paint-chip-sized fragment striking a satellite head-on could penetrate fuel tanks, tear through structures, or compromise batteries and life-support systems.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“War paint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/war%20paint. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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