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
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 wars
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
Pandemic bottlenecks, wars, climate shocks and geopolitical tension exposed the fragility of global supply chains.
—
Robert C. Wolcott,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
With fewer buyers competing for homes, bidding wars may be less common this summer.
—
Tim Maxwell,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
That’s partly because wars create heroes and heroes get portraits and statues made of them.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2026
One consequence of the ensuing wars was the emergence of a new, anti-sectarian, pacifist element in Dutch religious life.
—
Clare Bucknell,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
Britain has been trapped in a cycle of economic and political shocks, starting with the 2008 financial crisis and culminating with high inflation fueled by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
23 June 2026
The most important talent wars aren’t happening in the C-suites or even the VP corner offices.
—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
23 June 2026
Teams that already have important players signed to favorable deals can potentially take bidding wars to dizzying heights.
—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Noun
Israel for years avoided officially recognizing the violence as genocide out fear of angering Turkey, but that relationship has soured over the past two decades, especially as the most recent wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran have dragged on.
—
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2026
Pandemic bottlenecks, wars, climate shocks and geopolitical tension exposed the fragility of global supply chains.
—
Robert C. Wolcott,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2026
With fewer buyers competing for homes, bidding wars may be less common this summer.
—
Tim Maxwell,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
That’s partly because wars create heroes and heroes get portraits and statues made of them.
—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2026
One consequence of the ensuing wars was the emergence of a new, anti-sectarian, pacifist element in Dutch religious life.
—
Clare Bucknell,
Harpers Magazine,
23 June 2026
Britain has been trapped in a cycle of economic and political shocks, starting with the 2008 financial crisis and culminating with high inflation fueled by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
23 June 2026
The most important talent wars aren’t happening in the C-suites or even the VP corner offices.
—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
23 June 2026
Teams that already have important players signed to favorable deals can potentially take bidding wars to dizzying heights.
—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
Noun
-
The recent military action tested an initial agreement that was supposed to halt hostilities during 60 days of negotiations.
-
However, on Sunday, Washington and Tehran agreed to pause hostilities, resume commercial vessel traffic through the strategically important waterway and resume technical talks towards a peace deal.
Noun
-
Being able to work through conflicts can often result in an even stronger bond.
-
China has helped cushion the global oil shock, seen its clean energy tech exports surge and framed the war in Iran as another example in which Chinese leadership could supersede the US in ending global conflicts.
Noun
-
At a time when the news cycle seems to serve up nothing but conflict, crisis and woe, the World Cup offers shelter, a truly international event in which conflict is defined by long-term sports rivalries and questionable referee decisions.
-
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly looking to pair James with Stephen Curry, which would turn one of the NBA's greatest rivalries into two of the game's greatest stars fighting for their fifth title together.
Verb
-
If Wagner misses time again, if Suggs battles injuries again or if the roster isn’t completely healthy in April, expectations aren’t going anywhere.
-
Starter Eric Lauer battles erratic fastball command and early damage yet completes six innings, while the Rays’ Nick Martinez matches him before a bullpen misstep to Rojas decides a tight opener.
Noun
-
In these industries, there are small frictions in everyday spending, and Beijing appears to believe removing them can make services cheaper, more reliable and easier to scale.
-
Loudoun County has its frictions with industry, but the local political coalition in support of data centers is durable because residents see the money.
Noun
-
And then there’s the guy that had a lot of success, and through injuries or struggles, needs to change some things and adjust some things.
-
The actress spent a few years away from Hollywood, working at a treatment center after her own struggles with substance abuse.
Verb
-
Agamemnon is the commander of the Greek army that fights the Trojan War for the recovery of Menelaus’s wife, Helen.
-
What fights an itch depends on its cause and there's a need for better treatments.
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.
-
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.
Cite this Entry
“Wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wars. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
