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 conflicts
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 rivalries
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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wars
Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Among the reasons the name was chosen, according to historians, was to signal that the United States prioritized preventing wars in the post-World War II nuclear age.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Here are 15 films that seem likely to spark the most intense bidding wars.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Historian Danny Keenan has demonstrated how decisions are made in naming wars that may imply culpability among the actors involved.
—Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Her father, who served in the Vietnam and Korean wars, died from kidney failure and heart disease associated with exposure to Agent Orange.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, sports rights holders enter bidding wars in a competitive market fueled by streaming services seeking more ad opportunities and subscribers from exclusive live events.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025
The red state of Utah is emerging as a rare bright spot for the Democratic Party’s redistricting wars, which have, until now, hinged on a California special election.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
Higher education is threatened by rising costs, eroding trust, and culture wars.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Verb
Players are being paid directly by their schools, ADs are looking for alternative sources of revenue and recruits are launching bidding wars.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Among the reasons the name was chosen, according to historians, was to signal that the United States prioritized preventing wars in the post-World War II nuclear age.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
Here are 15 films that seem likely to spark the most intense bidding wars.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Historian Danny Keenan has demonstrated how decisions are made in naming wars that may imply culpability among the actors involved.
—Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Her father, who served in the Vietnam and Korean wars, died from kidney failure and heart disease associated with exposure to Agent Orange.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, sports rights holders enter bidding wars in a competitive market fueled by streaming services seeking more ad opportunities and subscribers from exclusive live events.
—Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 4 Sep. 2025
The red state of Utah is emerging as a rare bright spot for the Democratic Party’s redistricting wars, which have, until now, hinged on a California special election.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 1 Sep. 2025
Higher education is threatened by rising costs, eroding trust, and culture wars.
—Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
Noun
-
Globally, frustration is mounting over the conflict, with Palestinian civilian deaths numbering in the tens of thousands and famine risks growing amid the ongoing hostilities.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Many members of Putin’s aristocracy continue to hold out hope that after the end of hostilities, everything will become, if not different, then at least milder.—
ANDREI KOLESNIKOV,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The multibillion-dollar deal brings an end to legal conflicts that captured global attention and cements a clear future for the companies at the center of American and international news.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The laboratory also stressed the need for resilience against electronic warfare, particularly GPS jamming and spoofing, which have become common tactics in modern conflicts.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Premiering in 2011, the edgy comedy follows Annie Walker (Kristen Wiig) as her life unravels while serving as maid of honor for her best friend Lillian Donovan (Maya Rudolph), leading to a string of wedding planning mishaps and bridal party rivalries.—
Emily Blackwood,
People.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Many of the amendments are likely to spark infighting among Republicans as the party battles over whether to become more isolationist in the face of skepticism about assisting foreign countries.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Bateman's character, Vince Friedken, battles a gambling addiction in a trailer for the crime thriller, as Law's Jake Friedken celebrates the growing success of his buzzy establishment.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Subscribe Technological sovereignty is a topic that has been gaining momentum in the last year or so as geopolitical frictions have forced companies to assess their reliance on foreign technologies.—
Ryan Browne,
CNBC,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Typing, speaking, and even gesturing are frictions that slow us down.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Before welcoming William, the couple endured a six-year-long road to parenthood that included health issues for each of them in addition to their fertility struggles.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Fall in Michigan means less and less daylight as the season goes on and for many that signals the start of seasonal mental health struggles, though coping strategies can help, experts say.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Under a new deal with CBS and Paramount+, UFC fights will be available for all subscribers.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Days later, then-Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley announced a campaign challenging the former governor as the GOP fights to keep the Senate seat red.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wars. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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