warfare

noun

ˈwȯr-ˌfer How to pronounce warfare (audio)
Definition of warfarenext
1
as in war
a lack of agreement or harmony that troubled household seems to be almost constantly in a state of warfare

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another companies engaged in constant warfare for dominance in the market for smart phones and tablets

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 warfare With the possible exception of cyber, the lines between commercial and military operations in space are blurrier than in any other domain in modern warfare. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 22 July 2026 Ukraine has developed drones and electronic warfare to thwart nearly all attack drones but not fast-moving missiles. — Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 22 July 2026 Once used for hunting and warfare, archery remains one of the three celebrated sports of the Naadam Festival, alongside wrestling and long-distance horse racing. — Undraa Buyannemekh, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026 The upheaval comes days after the PIC board suspended CEO Patrick Dlamini over a flawed $24 million private equity settlement, sparking internal warfare and board member resignations. — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for warfare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warfare
  1. war
  2. rivalry
  3. strife
  4. battle
  5. discord
  6. struggle
  7. conflict
  8. competition
Noun
  • But the Iran war has taken Qatar and UAE out of the market for a time, and this represents 16% of worldwide liquefaction.
    — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Another constituent and her family fled to Delaware after a gang war broke out in Haiti following the assassination of President Jovene Moise in 2021.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 July 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • Set in Texas Hill Country, the modern Western follows interconnected families and their rivalries and romances.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 25 July 2026
  • The teams faced each other in back-to-back postseasons in 2018 and 2019, with the rivalry peaking during a seven-game series in 2019.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of rivalry
Noun
  • Next year’s game is scheduled for the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field for the first time since 1990, but is threatened by possible labor strife.
    — Ronald Blum, Mercury News, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of strife
Noun
  • If someone pushes back, resist turning it into a battle for dominance.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 July 2026
  • Baela rides the small, but still battle-ready (in the show) Moondancer.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of battle
Noun
  • Meena said his contract was terminated prematurely, a dispute highlighting internal discord.
    — Catherine Muccigrosso July 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • In a year where everything Skubal does has been fair game for discussion and discord, the barbs surrounding the WBC still have not faded.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of discord
Noun
  • Strickland said weather and development have been the farm’s biggest struggles.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 July 2026
  • While much has been a struggle for the Jays this year, Cease’s first season in Toronto has been nothing but brilliance.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of struggle
Noun
  • The Iranian military fired six missiles on Jordan today, according to the Jordan Armed Forces, as the regional conflict expands.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Lario stressed that hunger and conflict often reinforce one another, creating a cycle that is difficult to break without greater stability.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 July 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • That tournament in the past had taken place near the end of the tennis competition, with entrants somewhat dependent on who made it to the latter stages of the singles event or who was willing to stick around.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • The states alleged in their lawsuit that the acquisition will substantially throttle competition in wide-release and top-grossing theatrical distribution and cable licensing in violation of antitrust laws.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026
Definition of competition

Browse Nearby Words

wares
warfare
warfares
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Warfare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warfare. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on warfare

Nglish: Translation of warfare for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about warfare

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 parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

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

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

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 24

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

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All