HOSTILITIES Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

hostilities

noun

plural of hostility

as in war

a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups Both sides agreed to cease all hostilities.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 hostilities Brent’s price zigzagged between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and fell that the United States and Iran could reach an agreement to end hostilities and the threat to oil tankers in the strait. — ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 The administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, argued the war was over with a ceasefire and that hostilities then resumed. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Another could be renewed hostilities around the Persian Gulf. — Sj Guest Editorial, Footwear News, 18 Aug. 2026 The blowout of the crack spread came from hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, combined with those between Russia and Ukraine. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 17 Aug. 2026 Their agreement puts an end to legal hostilities between the teams who are both set to leave AAC, the Mavs for the Valley View Mall and the Stars for the Shops at Willow Bend, after their lease ends. — Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Aug. 2026 Though the formal truce expired in October 2022, large-scale hostilities remained comparatively limited for years. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026 But even if hostilities in the region de-escalate, a persistent risk to traffic through the strait will likely remain, with passage either outright controlled by Iran or, at the very least, subject to Iranian disruption at any time. — Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026 But that prompted Iran to attack vessels trying to bypass its own corridor, reigniting hostilities and leading to the current standoff. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostilities

Noun

The Middle East war and the resulting shipping disruption through the Strait of Hormuz drove up global commodity costs, further squeezing Beijing's own appetite for commodity imports.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Iran says wedding struck Iranians were fearful that the new strikes signaled war could restart at full throttle.

— Kanishka Singh, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

Officials in Pattaya, where international tourist arrivals have dropped because of travel disruptions and soaring fuel prices stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, say the visit is expected to inject about $3 million into the local economy.

— Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Households reduced fuel consumption due to elevated prices owed to the Middle East conflict, and cut domestic and international travel.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of conflict

Browse Nearby Words

hostiles

hostilities

hostility

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Hostilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostilities. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of hostilities

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes