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
Lebanon’s fractured system of government makes those fears of civil war or sectarian strife more potent.
—
Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
Pakistan was left to deal with the fallout from the Afghan civil war that followed, which included accepting nearly four million Afghan refugees.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
The hit Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon returns for its third season on HBO Max on June 21, picking up where Season 2 left off in the heart of the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Tice, a freelance journalist, disappeared in August 2012 while reporting on the Syrian civil war.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Mick Krever, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
Pakistan was left to deal with the fallout from the Afghan civil war that followed, which included accepting nearly four million Afghan refugees.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 3 June 2026
The hit Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon returns for its third season on HBO Max on June 21, picking up where Season 2 left off in the heart of the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Tice, a freelance journalist, disappeared in August 2012 while reporting on the Syrian civil war.
—Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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Meanwhile, Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran has roiled the global energy markets and sent the cost of gas and jet fuel soaring.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
11 June 2026
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Profits at Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC Gas fell 15% as the war cut its sales volumes, and Industries Qatar saw a drop of nearly 26% as the conflict disrupted its petrochemicals operations and shipments.—
Manal Albarakati,
semafor.com,
10 June 2026
Noun
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The report, based on in-depth interviews with single-family office principals and CIOs across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, captures a generational cold war playing out inside the world’s most secretive financial institutions.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
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Ahead of season 3, EW has launched three motion covers, each one starring a contender for the crown — as the show's cold war escalates into literal dragon fire.—
Tiffany Kelly,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Noun
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Moscow is fighting a world war, even if Western countries won’t acknowledge it.—
Melik Kaylan,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
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Minghella and a stellar cast never lose the tenderness amidst the epic sweep of a world war.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The dreamlike, disturbing stories in this collection by Egyptian writer Makhzangi take place in settings ranging from Egypt toa India to Vietnam to Iraq, often at moments of violent conflict.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Process automation and technology (PA & T) remains a second-half-of-the-year story due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, impacting shipments and delaying upgrades.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Commentary and opinions Bass clears the first hurdle, but if Pratt holds off Raman, the mayoral race could be a holy war, writes columnist Steve Lopez.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
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By the conclusion of the second film, Paul had aligned with the native Fremen people of Arrakis to successfully defeat House Harkonnen and began a holy war against the Empire.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
14 Apr. 2026
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 13 Jun. 2026.
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