war party

noun

plural war parties
1
: a group of American Indigenous warriors on the warpath
2
: a usually jingoistic political party advocating or upholding a war

Examples of war party in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
And that’s pretty much what another resident, Rachel (Erica Pappas), says in an attempt to dissuade the council from sending a war party of 16 to Seattle. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025 For example, some men might stay behind in the village to take care of the children and cook while the other men went hunting or on a war party. — Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 23 July 2024 Shortly after daylight, multiple dogs belted a chorus right behind me, as if the war party was circling. — Hampton Bourne, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2023 According to one account, the carnage started when one village sent a war party to raid another. — New York Times, 2 Nov. 2021 Typically, a war party would strike against traditional enemies, bringing back a few scalps and a small number of prisoners. — David Graeber, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021 The war party made for Shawnee villages north of the Ohio River, where the girls likely would have been adopted into the tribe or held for ransom. — Peter Cozzens, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2021 Tribal dancers, a war party waving spears and shrunken head dealer Trader Sam have been removed from the seven-minute Jungle Cruise journey. — Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 10 July 2021 Of obscure background, Riothamus (or Riotimus) is mentioned in Roman histories as leading a war party in Brittany, the Celtic province in the north of France, supporting Roman troops in a campaign against the Goths around the year 470. — Jack Feerick, Discover Magazine, 12 Mar. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1754, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of war party was in 1754

Rhymes for war party

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Browse Nearby Words

warp and woof
war party
warpath
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Cite this Entry

“War party.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20party. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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