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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wars
ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
She's also covered the cartel wars along the TX-MX border, Congress in Mexico City, 3 presidential races, and 6 hurricanes.
—Karen Brooks Harper
austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the most important arena of struggle isn’t the internet, where the wars are fought and nothing is achieved except division, but the physical world, where certain problems are common to all ordinary people.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Instead, the governor and the legislature pushed more culture wars, passing a new anti-DEI bill and a bill granting DeSantis the ability to target certain individuals and groups as terrorist organizations.
—Jim Defede, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
But the military outcome and the political outcome are almost never the same thing, and the gap between them is where wars fail.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Linda Bilmes, a Harvard expert on the cost of wars, told me that the United States used up more than 20% of its entire worldwide stockpile of THAAD interceptors last year defending Israel during the 12-day war with Iran.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Bidding wars in the housing market again?
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
But wars rarely end on Washington’s timetable.
—Jeanne Shaheen, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
In many wars, citizens are able to supplement official reporting with first-person accounts posted on social media and widely shared, Rahimi said.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
She's also covered the cartel wars along the TX-MX border, Congress in Mexico City, 3 presidential races, and 6 hurricanes.
—Karen Brooks Harper
austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 16 Mar. 2026
Perhaps the most important arena of struggle isn’t the internet, where the wars are fought and nothing is achieved except division, but the physical world, where certain problems are common to all ordinary people.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Instead, the governor and the legislature pushed more culture wars, passing a new anti-DEI bill and a bill granting DeSantis the ability to target certain individuals and groups as terrorist organizations.
—Jim Defede, CBS News, 15 Mar. 2026
But the military outcome and the political outcome are almost never the same thing, and the gap between them is where wars fail.
—Farah N. Jan, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
Linda Bilmes, a Harvard expert on the cost of wars, told me that the United States used up more than 20% of its entire worldwide stockpile of THAAD interceptors last year defending Israel during the 12-day war with Iran.
—Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026
Bidding wars in the housing market again?
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
But wars rarely end on Washington’s timetable.
—Jeanne Shaheen, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
Noun
-
But since this conflict started, Iran has been attacking the energy infrastructure all around the Gulf, even among nations with no hostilities towards Iran.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's Ruwais refinery, the largest in the Middle East, was shut as a precaution after a drone strike caused a fire, while operators in Fujairah temporarily suspended some terminal activity amid hostilities.—
Emma Graham,
CNBC,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Romantasy books blend the best of both the fantasy and romance genres, delivering high-stakes political conflicts, endless action and plot twists, and, of course, swoon-worthy love.—
De Elizabeth,
Glamour,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Teaching students how to explore connections between characters and conflicts in a novel to people and situations in their own lives makes resorting to chatbots less appealing, if not altogether useless.—
Gayle Rogers,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The level of vitriol between the two fan bases, particularly online, is absolutely on par with some of the league’s best rivalries.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The 49ers Museum offers a window into the traditions, rivalries, and fan culture that define American football.—
Allison Palmer,
Sacbee.com,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
As fans debate whether to renew now, there is again a question mark hanging over the club, as Pereira battles to lead Forest clear of the threat of relegation.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Armed with beauty, daring, hustle, sheer force of will and unwavering ambition, Undine battles an entrenched elite, fearlessly courting controversy, until love and fortune align.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
North Korea’s often-wild rhetoric, combined with nuclear weapons development, adds further international frictions.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Trade frictions, geopolitical unease and safety concerns have also contributed to the drop in demand for travel stateside, travel experts told CNBC.—
Sarah Whitten,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Images of marchers protesting the Nigerian civil war and of leaders of anti-colonial struggles blend with early documentation of European women’s-liberation movements.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
-
After admittedly chasing stats, which led to some early-season struggles, Simmons settled into the defensive end possession and blossomed into one of the SEC’s most prolific sack masters.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
He is forced out of his kingdom, sparking conflict, and eventually fights his way back.—
Ryan Brennan
March 10,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
-
These are intriguing threads Disco almost fights.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wars. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
