wars 1 of 2

noun

plural of war
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

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2
as in conflicts
a lack of agreement or harmony the siblings always seemed to be at war with one another

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3
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another only the latest round in the never-ending class war

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wars

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of war
as in battles

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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
Noun
The treaty has endured three wars and prolonged periods of diplomatic tensions but has come under increasing strain in recent years. — Sam Meredith,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026 Kitchen has seen some properties pushed even higher than that as sales frequently turn into bidding wars. — Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026 Evil is making people pay more for groceries and gas while pushing for trade wars and actual war. — Melina Khan, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Since 2019, Lebanon has been battered by an economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Beirut port explosion and two wars. — ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026 In air wars, the biggest single expense is often munitions, and that is true in this conflict. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 Sanctions, wars, tariffs, Strategic Petroleum Reserve releases, drilling policies and diplomatic agreements can all move energy prices. — Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 This came out in 2012, in that awkward growing-pains stage between the early post-teenybopper rebellion of Can’t Be Tamed and the suffocating culture wars of Bangerz. — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026 Yet Parton masterfully stayed out of every fight in the culture wars, preaching love, philanthropy, mentorship and tolerance until her dying breath. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wars
  1. hostilities
  2. conflicts
  3. rivalries
  4. battles
  5. frictions
  6. struggles
  7. fights
  8. discords
Noun
  • 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, 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
Definition of hostilities
Noun
  • Unfortunately, its determination to recreate its predecessor’s personal conflicts and revelations, along with its narrative twists and turns, slightly hamstrings what is otherwise an extremely effective thrill ride, especially on the big screen.
    — Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
  • When Russia’s full-scale invasion breaks out, his mother and sister flee Ukraine and join him, bringing with them family conflicts and feelings of guilt that distance cannot silence.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of conflicts
Noun
  • North Dakota State’s move to the FBS has created excitement about new opponents, rivalries and possibilities.
    — Manny Navarro, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Just as their own fictions bend and weave tales, so too do their own lives and rivalries.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of rivalries
Verb
  • The youngest of late Lakers owner Jerry Buss’ six children, the brothers have made the Padres their first major investment as the family battles over the sale of its remaining Lakers stake.
    — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Is Joe Biden’s wayward son trying to land a lucrative podcast deal or taking one last stand to clear his name as his father battles cancer?
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of battles
Noun
  • Although many top‑level policy frameworks read promisingly, structural frictions create risk that reforms won’t deliver limited real‑world impact, Tang said.
    — Russell Flannery, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frictions
Noun
  • The criticism instead centers on the significant advantages that enormous family wealth can provide, including time, training and the freedom to pursue a creative career without the financial struggles many developing artists face.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Isaiah explains that sharing their pregnancy losses and fertility struggles publicly felt like their purpose.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of struggles
Verb
  • Another shoreside community fights beach erosion Laguna Beach public works officials have closed a section of Aliso Beach’s parking lot after high tides and strong waves washed away sand and undermined a section of the lot.
    — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Water has become so scarce that fights break out between neighbors when a water truck arrives, and protests over the lack of water have become common.
    — Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fights
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
Definition of discords

Browse Nearby Words

warriors
wars
wars (against)
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Cite this Entry

“Wars.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wars. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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