declare war
idiom
: to officially decide to fight or go to war
Congress has the power to declare war on/against other countries.
—often used figurativelyThe state has declared war on illiteracy.
Examples of declare war in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In early March, the gangs united to declare war on the state, attacking the airport, police stations, and government buildings.
—
Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
In 1918, a Watterson editorial calling for the United States to declare war on Germany won The Courier Journal its first Pulitzer Prize.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 7 Mar. 2024
That section of the Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 13 Jan. 2024
Our Founding Fathers required Congress declare war out of fear the president would start one on his own.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024
But things turn dire quickly when their governments declare war on each other and both groups are instructed to commandeer the space station by any means necessary.
—William Earl, Variety, 21 Jan. 2024
More than 8,700 people have been killed and thousands more wounded in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the terrorist group.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 28 Oct. 2023
The assault killed more than 1,400, compelling Israel to declare war.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
The 65th Congress — the one with a two-seat majority — voted to declare war on Germany and continued to work to support American war efforts, including passing the Selective Service Act of 1917, conscripting young men to join the armed forces.
—Leah Askarinam, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2023
Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
In 1918, a Watterson editorial calling for the United States to declare war on Germany won The Courier Journal its first Pulitzer Prize.
—Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 7 Mar. 2024
That section of the Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war.
—Morgan Fischer, The Arizona Republic, 13 Jan. 2024
Our Founding Fathers required Congress declare war out of fear the president would start one on his own.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2024
But things turn dire quickly when their governments declare war on each other and both groups are instructed to commandeer the space station by any means necessary.
—William Earl, Variety, 21 Jan. 2024
More than 8,700 people have been killed and thousands more wounded in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, leading Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on the terrorist group.
—Chris Pandolfo, Fox News, 28 Oct. 2023
The assault killed more than 1,400, compelling Israel to declare war.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2023
The 65th Congress — the one with a two-seat majority — voted to declare war on Germany and continued to work to support American war efforts, including passing the Selective Service Act of 1917, conscripting young men to join the armed forces.
—Leah Askarinam, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'declare war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near declare war
Cite this Entry
“Declare war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/declare%20war. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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