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
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
New wars are sustaining old energy regimes, driving price volatility through the same fossil-fuel supply chains the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program was designed to buffer against half a century ago.
—Diana Hernández, The Conversation, 14 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
Since the end of World War II, we’ve been involved in Korea, Vietnam and Middle Eastern wars, to name a few.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Experts and commentators pointed to the growing use of unmanned technology as a turning point in the way wars are fought.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Bidding wars broke out among everyday buyers, and home prices surged.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help end the Iran and Ukraine wars.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Dartmouth professor Jeff Friedman noted that younger voters grew up with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, conflicts that the public became disenchanted with.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
While Iran has set ending the wars in Lebanon and the region as a condition for talks with the United States, Lebanon insists on representing itself.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
New wars are sustaining old energy regimes, driving price volatility through the same fossil-fuel supply chains the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program was designed to buffer against half a century ago.
—Diana Hernández, The Conversation, 14 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
Since the end of World War II, we’ve been involved in Korea, Vietnam and Middle Eastern wars, to name a few.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2026
Experts and commentators pointed to the growing use of unmanned technology as a turning point in the way wars are fought.
—Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Bidding wars broke out among everyday buyers, and home prices surged.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to help end the Iran and Ukraine wars.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Dartmouth professor Jeff Friedman noted that younger voters grew up with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, conflicts that the public became disenchanted with.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 12 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
-
The leaders of China and Spain on Tuesday pledged to strengthen their relations and work to safeguard multilateralism at a time when the world is being impacted by various conflicts, including the recent war in Iran, during a meeting in Beijing on Tuesday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The stakes are high — suffice it to say, the tip is on the line — but the substance of the conflicts is absolutely ridiculous.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
14 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
-
Barred from his high school basketball team due to his temper, a hot-head, street-baller battles demons from his past and present to earn a spot on a summer league team and his last shot at a college basketball scholarship.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Beth, who is voiced by Sarah Chalke, asks dad Rick (Ian Cardoni) in the footage as the family battles a beast comprised of couch cushions.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 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
-
As the Democratic Party fights to regain control of Congress, organizations affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence have dominated the airwaves, sometimes leaving candidates on the sidelines of their own campaigns.—
Leah Askarinam,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Set in the last year of World War II on the remote North Sea island of Amrum, the story is told from the point of view of 12-year-old Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck), whose zealot mother (Laura Tonke) is raising him as a good Nazi while his father fights in the war.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
8 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 21 Apr. 2026.
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