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
Sam Meredith,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
In the latest battle of the Vidalia onion wars, a commercial distributor has decided to arm itself with a $100,000 labeling machine that will leave no further doubt about the authenticity of its products.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Cloud Next, which has long outgrown San Francisco’s Moscone Center, will be a moment for the company to mark its progress in the cloud wars, a competition where it was once left for dead.
—Alex Kantrowitz, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
She was initially drawn to Trump because of his vows to support veterans, avoid foreign wars and lower costs.
—Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
All of us who were alive in those times saw and experienced these wars.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
His diplomatic efforts to end wars in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Iran, and the Congo have been particularly noticed.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2026
Estimates suggest that between 25% and 40% of returning service members carry these less visible neurological or psychological injuries, while hundreds of thousands have been formally diagnosed with PTSD or traumatic brain injury in the years since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
—Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
It’s not meant to help members wage wars of choice, but to deter and repel aggressors by stipulating that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
Japan, which has been ramping up defense spending in recent years, is seeking to counter regional security threats and support partner countries during wars in the Middle East and Ukraine.
—Sam Meredith,lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026
In the latest battle of the Vidalia onion wars, a commercial distributor has decided to arm itself with a $100,000 labeling machine that will leave no further doubt about the authenticity of its products.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Cloud Next, which has long outgrown San Francisco’s Moscone Center, will be a moment for the company to mark its progress in the cloud wars, a competition where it was once left for dead.
—Alex Kantrowitz, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2026
She was initially drawn to Trump because of his vows to support veterans, avoid foreign wars and lower costs.
—Josh Boak, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026
All of us who were alive in those times saw and experienced these wars.
—Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
His diplomatic efforts to end wars in Ukraine, the Caucasus, Iran, and the Congo have been particularly noticed.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Apr. 2026
Estimates suggest that between 25% and 40% of returning service members carry these less visible neurological or psychological injuries, while hundreds of thousands have been formally diagnosed with PTSD or traumatic brain injury in the years since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq began.
—Dimitri Mugianis, STAT, 20 Apr. 2026
It’s not meant to help members wage wars of choice, but to deter and repel aggressors by stipulating that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.
—Andreas Kluth, Twin Cities, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
Noun
-
Australian law defines war crime murder as the intentional killing in a context of armed conflict of a person who is not taking an active part in the hostilities, such as a civilian, prisoner of war or a wounded soldier.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Markets have rallied in recent days amid hopes of a de-escalation in hostilities across multiple fronts, with equities rebounding back to pre-conflict levels.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite persistent economic headwinds and ongoing global conflicts affecting trade and transportation, the mood among exhibitors and attendees at Kingpins Amsterdam last week was notably more optimistic than at the previous two editions.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The candidates that are having conflicts on the stage.—
Julie Watts
April 20,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Alexander Wynaendts, supervisory board chairman at Deutsche Bank, said Wednesday that Europe needs to reduce regulations and boost its output to compete with China and the US despite challenges posed by the Middle East war and intra-regional rivalries.—
Steve Gelsi,
semafor.com,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The postseason format the NHL brought back with the divisional realignment for the 2013-14 season to intensify the first round and double down on regional rivalries has occasionally proved controversial.—
Dave Campbell,
Twin Cities,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As Halsey battles addiction and Luke confronts his own darkness, their growing feelings force them to question if love is worth the risk.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The three-match tournament ends with rivalry matchups next Friday in Chicago, when USA faces Canada and Australia battles New Zealand.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Across this soppy set of songs, the sum of these frictions is cyborgish and spectral, music from a MacBook whose dying wish was to see the world.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Still, long-term questions persist, and Apple has warned that tariffs, trade restrictions and geopolitical frictions could raise costs, disrupt supply and force restructuring of operations.—
Jennifer Elias,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, in the immediate term, Gil’s struggles may be an issue for a few more turns throughout the rotation.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
His hot stretches were overshadowed in his mind by some struggles late in the spring, creating a stretch of self-doubt.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
After years making other kinds of headlines in their community, their split is now playing out publicly as Mike fights to have the court enforce the couple’s prenuptial agreement, which would pay Constance a lump sum of $1 million.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
16 Apr. 2026
-
These fights often concern cuisines that rarely see the spotlight.—
Jamie Feldmar,
Saveur,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
-
In every case, physical science, which is based on the evidence reported by these limited and limiting senses, eventually leaves us stranded with the conviction that sickness, accidents, and disasters – discords of every description, regardless of the apparent cause – are real and inevitable.—
Lisa Rennie Sytsma,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wars. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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