war of words
noun phrase
: an argument in which people or groups criticize and disagree with each other publicly and repeatedly for usually a long time
Rival groups have engaged in a war of words over the new law.
Examples of war of words in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The firm's share price hemorrhaged well over $100 billion in value following the recent war of words between Musk and President Trump.
—
Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 7 June 2025
Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev poked fun at the explosive war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, offering to mediate peace between the two political allies.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
The war of words between Musk and Trump erupted Thursday as Trump addressed Musk's criticism directly.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 6 June 2025
While Trump has all the power of the American presidency, including 24/7 access to the world’s media, Musk has some advantages in this war of words too: A much bigger social media footprint than Trump and, lately, a willingness to play dirtier than the president.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
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Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 7 June 2025
Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev poked fun at the explosive war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, offering to mediate peace between the two political allies.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
The war of words between Musk and Trump erupted Thursday as Trump addressed Musk's criticism directly.
—Ryan Browne, CNBC, 6 June 2025
While Trump has all the power of the American presidency, including 24/7 access to the world’s media, Musk has some advantages in this war of words too: A much bigger social media footprint than Trump and, lately, a willingness to play dirtier than the president.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for war of words
Cite this Entry
“War of words.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20of%20words. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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