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
Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
There are hot wars in Ukraine and Gaza, cold wars on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait, and budding wars in Iran and parts of Africa.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
In the media, the small improvements the legislation was able to make were drowned out by the pandemonium of the culture wars.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
All-cash offers, including in Boise and its surrounding suburbs, became commonplace and spurred bidding wars that drove up housing prices, Michael Megis, a longtime broker also with the Homes of Idaho real estate firm, said in an interview.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The president has boasted about ending numerous wars during his first year in office, but has yet to reach his most coveted foreign affairs achievement.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
India and Pakistan have fought four wars since Partition in 1947 — in 1947–48, 1965, 1971 and 1999 — with the territory of Kashmir remaining the central flashpoint in a relationship marked by military confrontation, diplomatic breakdowns and periodic escalations.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
His fans here are not focused on his anti-ICE words at Sunday’s Grammys or the culture-wars drama surrounding the upcoming halftime show.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Also the domestic destabilizing effects of wars in the Middle East.
—Robert Lloyd, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Noun
Pressure from shareholders and the race to beat out competitors in the AI wars factor into the efficiency drive.
—Sarah Jackson, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
There are hot wars in Ukraine and Gaza, cold wars on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait, and budding wars in Iran and parts of Africa.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
In the media, the small improvements the legislation was able to make were drowned out by the pandemonium of the culture wars.
—Annie Levin, Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
All-cash offers, including in Boise and its surrounding suburbs, became commonplace and spurred bidding wars that drove up housing prices, Michael Megis, a longtime broker also with the Homes of Idaho real estate firm, said in an interview.
—Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2026
The president has boasted about ending numerous wars during his first year in office, but has yet to reach his most coveted foreign affairs achievement.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 7 Feb. 2026
India and Pakistan have fought four wars since Partition in 1947 — in 1947–48, 1965, 1971 and 1999 — with the territory of Kashmir remaining the central flashpoint in a relationship marked by military confrontation, diplomatic breakdowns and periodic escalations.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026
His fans here are not focused on his anti-ICE words at Sunday’s Grammys or the culture-wars drama surrounding the upcoming halftime show.
—Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
Also the domestic destabilizing effects of wars in the Middle East.
—Robert Lloyd, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
Noun
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Meanwhile, Moscow escalated its attacks on Ukraine's power grid in an apparent effort to deny civilians power and to weaken public support for the war, while hostilities continued along the roughly 600-mile front line snaking through eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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Russia appears to be aiming to deny civilians power and weaken public support for the fight, while hostilities continue along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line snaking along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.—
EMMA BURROWS,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If multiple hypotheses work to explain the data equally well but one conflicts with reality in some other realm (and the other doesn’t), the one that’s valid across the widest range of applicability is superior.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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Previously, there was also a recasting of the original leads, Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler, due to scheduling conflicts, with Spaeny and Starkey taking over the roles.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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As a 10-time world champion who’s entering her fifth, and final, Winter Olympics, American hockey star Hilary Knight, 35, has played a key role in energizing one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The sport was built on rivalries.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Your self-confidence may take a hit when the Gemini moon battles Saturn.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
-
More than four years later, Sanchez still battles the emotional fallout.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That ruling, which found that the contract awarded to Hutchison’s Panama Ports Company violated Panama’s constitution and follows the official audit, again raises frictions.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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Starmer’s diplomatic shift appears to mirror that of Canada which signed a trade agreement with China earlier this month following a visit by Carney, as Ottawa appears to diversify trade and investment partners amid persistent frictions with Washington.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Starmer faces mounting pressure from Labor MPs over his judgment, with his premiership now in jeopardy amid broader government struggles and poor polling.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
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The 2025 August slide from the Padre with the biggest contract was especially unfortunate as the Padres (16-12 in August) were unable to fully capitalize on the Dodgers’ struggles (15-13 in August) to overtake them in the NL West.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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However, fights outside the dojo or a tournament were rare for Warren’s students.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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The Calpak Luka Mini Softside Carry-on feels more like a plush weekender than a spinner, and the Bagsmart Hardside Carry-on zips open clamshell-style and never fights me at TSA.—
Brandon Schultz,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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