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
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Recent Examples of wars
Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Russia’s losses in Ukraine are five times higher than its total losses from all Russian and Soviet wars since World War II combined, including the Afghanistan war and two Chechen wars, the report says.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Agents Get Their Shut-Eye Before COVID shook up the indie film business, all-night bidding wars were a staple of Sundance.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
At 75 years old, NATO has survived storms before, from squabbles over trade to estrangement over wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Chris Best, Substack co-founder and CEO, has opened the way for his newsletter platform to join today’s TV wars.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Even as the White House keeps military options on the table for Greenland, the president highlighted his efforts to end wars overseas.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Screens, the rise of authoritarianism, persistent wars, AI everything, and climate anxiety—all problems that only seem to get worse by the week.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Washington has allocated trillions for wars, stimulus initiatives, and bailouts that provided significantly less strategic clarity than this proposal would offer.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
Or perhaps that is the concern conjured by the hysteria of Y2K—with its fads of fears pumped by a skepticism over technology and wars people could not hold so freshly after the recession of the early 1990s.
—Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Russia’s losses in Ukraine are five times higher than its total losses from all Russian and Soviet wars since World War II combined, including the Afghanistan war and two Chechen wars, the report says.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 Jan. 2026
Agents Get Their Shut-Eye Before COVID shook up the indie film business, all-night bidding wars were a staple of Sundance.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
At 75 years old, NATO has survived storms before, from squabbles over trade to estrangement over wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Chris Best, Substack co-founder and CEO, has opened the way for his newsletter platform to join today’s TV wars.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026
Even as the White House keeps military options on the table for Greenland, the president highlighted his efforts to end wars overseas.
—CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Screens, the rise of authoritarianism, persistent wars, AI everything, and climate anxiety—all problems that only seem to get worse by the week.
—Maya Silver, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
Washington has allocated trillions for wars, stimulus initiatives, and bailouts that provided significantly less strategic clarity than this proposal would offer.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
Noun
-
Russia's bigger army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Russia’s bigger army has managed to capture about 20% of Ukraine since hostilities began in 2014 and its full-scale invasion of 2022.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Compared to conflicts involving major powers since World War II, Moscow’s losses are staggering.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Geopolitical tensions, from ongoing conflicts to trade frictions, add fuel to gold’s safe-haven appeal.—
Sean Lee,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
So brace yourselves for the regional rivalries.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets will meet again tonight in a matchup that remains one of the NBA's most heated rivalries, even as both franchises enter a rebuilding phase.—
Julianna Duennes Russ,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
More than four years later, Sanchez still battles the emotional fallout.—
Lou Ponsi,
Oc Register,
26 Jan. 2026
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Chris Mara spoke on behalf of Giants ownership Tuesday after John Harbaugh’s introductory press conference, confirming Mara’s rise to a more prominent role and influence in the organization as his brother, co-owner John Mara, battles cancer.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Starmer’s diplomatic shift appears to mirror that of Canada which signed a trade agreement with China earlier this month following a visit by Carney, as Ottawa appears to diversify trade and investment partners amid persistent frictions with Washington.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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Understanding these frictions before adding more exposure can prevent unpleasant surprises later.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After years of struggles with hearing loss, Bonnie Covey's personal story of restoration has helped others with their complications.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
29 Jan. 2026
-
For those two teams and the Pacers, the absence of a talented player(s) from the year prior led to their struggles.—
Tony East,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The National Immigration Law Center fights in courts and legislatures to protect low-income immigrants, ensuring that civil rights don’t disappear simply because of where someone was born.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
On the outskirts of the crowd, fights broke out between protesters and counter-protesters.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 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 4 Feb. 2026.
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