war of words

noun phrase

: an argument in which people or groups criticize and disagree with each other publicly and repeatedly for usually a long time
Rival groups have engaged in a war of words over the new law.

Examples of war of words in a Sentence

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LeBron James played spoiler against the New York Knicks on their championship banner night in his first game of his unprecedented 24th NBA season, but not before getting into a war of words with a fan. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026 The war of words has continued in the past few days, with the Ukrainian president outlining further areas of disagreement. — Kristin Wright, NPR, 18 Oct. 2026 The documentary is facing more than a war of words from Musk, however. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 Chuck Lorre ignited a war of words with the White House after ripping the sitting president to shreds in a speech at a charity gala. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for war of words

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Cite this Entry

“War of words.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20of%20words. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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