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
Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Plenty of others haven’t engaged with the book at all, instead using its premise — and ironically, Hathaway’s role as a female producer on the film — as fodder for the ever-raging American culture wars.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Much of eastern Congo, about 1,000 miles from Kinshasa, has been plagued by violence for decades, a legacy of regional wars that raged in the region in the 1990s and early 2000s.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
Most of us have been indoctrinated rather than educated about wars of conquest.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Dining at restaurant wars Soon thereafter, we were escorted back outside to enter the competing restaurant, Tierra Reina.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
The tactical operation center was similar to structures commonplace during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — before the rise of drone warfare.
—Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Anzac Day, observed in Australia and New Zealand, honors military service members who have served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
In the latest battle of the Vidalia onion wars, a commercial distributor has decided to arm itself with a $100,000 labeling machine that will leave no further doubt about the authenticity of its products.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Noun
Now the edge is getting pushed yet again, as the culture transitions from the memeification of one man’s death to delighting in the real-time memes of wars.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 29 Apr. 2026
Plenty of others haven’t engaged with the book at all, instead using its premise — and ironically, Hathaway’s role as a female producer on the film — as fodder for the ever-raging American culture wars.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 28 Apr. 2026
Much of eastern Congo, about 1,000 miles from Kinshasa, has been plagued by violence for decades, a legacy of regional wars that raged in the region in the 1990s and early 2000s.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
Most of us have been indoctrinated rather than educated about wars of conquest.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
Dining at restaurant wars Soon thereafter, we were escorted back outside to enter the competing restaurant, Tierra Reina.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 2026
The tactical operation center was similar to structures commonplace during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — before the rise of drone warfare.
—Michael Kaplan, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
Anzac Day, observed in Australia and New Zealand, honors military service members who have served and died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
In the latest battle of the Vidalia onion wars, a commercial distributor has decided to arm itself with a $100,000 labeling machine that will leave no further doubt about the authenticity of its products.
—Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 21 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
Noun
-
Though active hostilities have paused for the moment, the conflict has already exacted a tragic toll on combatants and civilians alike, threatened global stability and underscored in stark relief the grim reality of war.—
William E. Lori,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Saturday his country is sending minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean to help remove Iranian mines from the strait once hostilities end.—
Munir Ahmed,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Since one of the metaphorical aspects of the script concerns how swiftly conflicts can flare up from small disagreements into major knock-down-drag-out fights, showing the violence and bared-teeth snarling is appropriate, a lighter touch could work, too.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Determined to rise to the occasion and work out every possible kink, Daisy sets out to resolve conflicts between the stews and in the galley.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over the course of three decades, multiple law enforcement agencies tried to crack the case as conspiracy theories involving complex gang and music-related rivalries swirled.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The film traces his long-running bid to step out of Chun’s shadow and claim the top seat himself, examining the web of alliances, rivalries, and institutional maneuvers that defines his ascent.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Despite being projected to be the first overall pick, Mendoza skipped the in-person draft in Pittsburgh to stay in Florida with his mother, who battles multiple sclerosis (MS) and is bound to a wheelchair.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
As Halsey battles addiction and Luke confronts his own darkness, their growing feelings force them to question if love is worth the risk.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
From there, the film unfolds through a series of episodes shaped by displacement, awkward encounters and the frictions of contemporary Germany.—
Emiliano de Pablos,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Across this soppy set of songs, the sum of these frictions is cyborgish and spectral, music from a MacBook whose dying wish was to see the world.—
Samuel Hyland,
Pitchfork,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His personal struggles growing up with an absent dad and being a young man of color who comes from a low-income family soon take a toll on him.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Horner's mother testified last week, telling the jury about her own struggles with drugs and spending parts of Horner's childhood in jail.—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ever since, fans have been hooked to see how the friend group navigate fights big and small.—
Colleen Kratofil,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The 31-year-old McKee (24-2), who fights out of Long Beach, continues his pursuit to reclaim his place atop the 145-pound division.—
Brian Martin,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Your dedicated Slack channels, private discords and endless Reddit threads.—
April Uchitel,
Flow Space,
6 Aug. 2025
-
In every case, physical science, which is based on the evidence reported by these limited and limiting senses, eventually leaves us stranded with the conviction that sickness, accidents, and disasters – discords of every description, regardless of the apparent cause – are real and inevitable.—
Lisa Rennie Sytsma,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wars. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
