as in war
a a state or period of fighting between groups of people in the same country
a region that has had many civil wars
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Recent Examples of civil war
Attack follows Friday’s strike on World Food Program convoy, in a pattern of targeting civilians and humanitarian operations amid ongoing civil war.
—
Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
The Arab Spring uprisings reached Syria in 2011 and blazed up into civil war.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday centers on the denizens of Wazirabad, a small hamlet in the environs of Kabul, during the civil war of the ’90s following the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
The uprising led to a civil war, and the country has since become divided between rival armed groups and militias, the AP noted.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2026
The Arab Spring uprisings reached Syria in 2011 and blazed up into civil war.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday centers on the denizens of Wazirabad, a small hamlet in the environs of Kabul, during the civil war of the ’90s following the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
The uprising led to a civil war, and the country has since become divided between rival armed groups and militias, the AP noted.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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Net migration to the UK reached record levels in 2022, swelled by the war in Ukraine and the post-pandemic lifting of travel restrictions, but has since dropped off sharply.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
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The war has sparked worldwide protests and brought accusations of genocide that Israel denies.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Then, starting in late 2023, three events turned a cold war between the police and the city into an open conflict.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The world is facing threats not of a cold war or just a trade war, but a capital war where money is being weaponized, according to billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Philip Noel-Baker’s legacy Eight more Olympics had taken place since Noel-Baker won his silver medal, the games interrupted by yet another world war.—
Amy Crawford,
Popular Science,
29 Jan. 2026
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The Islamist war on Christians in Africa is another front of this world war that stretches from Sudan in the north to Mozambique in the South.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
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No artist, agent or employee should ever be expected to defend or overlook actions that conflict so deeply with our own moral values.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
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Warren saw that the conflict in the region between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army left local children with little to do.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This may not be surprising to some, but the holy war of words playing out in Mayor Mamdani’s new backyard is partly coming from mothers who not long ago held squarely centrist or even liberal beliefs.—
Hannah Seligson,
Vanity Fair,
9 Jan. 2026
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The 76ers’ owner, Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE), had been in a holy war with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and Comcast over building a standalone NBA arena in Center City.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In contrast, China has made targeted investments intended to give it an advantage in a quick, limited war, while keeping its overall defense spending relatively modest: Beijing’s defense spending has risen from five percent of U.S. levels in 1995 to 32 percent in 2017.—
Oriana Skylar Mastro,
Foreign Affairs,
20 May 2025
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Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in a limited war since last October, but Israeli forces have significantly escalated the scope of their attacks since the beginning of September in an attempt to force Hezbollah to stop its attacks on northern Israel.—
Mike Brest,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
30 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20war. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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