ceasefire
noun
cease·fire
ˈsēs-ˈfi(-ə)r 
variants
or less commonly cease-fire
plural ceasefires also cease-fires
1
: a military order to cease firing
2
: a suspension of active hostilities
Examples of ceasefire in a Sentence
the two armies declared a ceasefire for the holiday
Recent Examples on the Web
The United States had been recently embroiled in conflict in the Persian Gulf − the Gulf War had just ended with a ceasefire agreement a few months before the queen's speech.
—
Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli military personnel that the terms of the ceasefire with Lebanon allow Israel to continue bombing throughout the country.
—Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Israel said days before a ceasefire took effect on April 8 that its airstrikes had destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity while also hitting petrochemical facilities and transport infrastructure.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Perhaps most damaging, Israel hit Iran’s biggest steelmaking and petrochemical factories, most of them in a wave of strikes just before the April 8 ceasefire.
—Amir-Hussein Radjy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Fighting is ongoing in Lebanon despite a shaky ceasefire — Israel ordered inhabitants of seven towns to evacuate ahead of military operations.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The temporary ceasefire, which came into effect nearly two weeks ago, is still largely in place.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
Despite attempts to negotiate the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening during an ongoing ceasefire, the narrow waterway remains shut to virtually all ship traffic.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
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Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli military personnel that the terms of the ceasefire with Lebanon allow Israel to continue bombing throughout the country.
—Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 28 Apr. 2026
Israel said days before a ceasefire took effect on April 8 that its airstrikes had destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity while also hitting petrochemical facilities and transport infrastructure.
—CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Perhaps most damaging, Israel hit Iran’s biggest steelmaking and petrochemical factories, most of them in a wave of strikes just before the April 8 ceasefire.
—Amir-Hussein Radjy, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Fighting is ongoing in Lebanon despite a shaky ceasefire — Israel ordered inhabitants of seven towns to evacuate ahead of military operations.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The temporary ceasefire, which came into effect nearly two weeks ago, is still largely in place.
—Npr Staff, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
Despite attempts to negotiate the Strait of Hormuz’s reopening during an ongoing ceasefire, the narrow waterway remains shut to virtually all ship traffic.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ceasefire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceasefire. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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