civil war

noun

Definition of civil warnext
as in war
a a state or period of fighting between groups of people in the same country a region that has had many civil wars

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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 civil war Dark memories The announcement of support for Saudi Arabia has evoked dark memories of Egypt’s involvement in the civil war in Yemen in the 1960s, pitting royalist supporters of the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen against the Yemen Arab Republic. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026 In December 2024, Syrian rebels streamed into Damascus in a surprise attack that toppled President Bashar al-Assad and put an end to more than 13 bloody years of civil war. — Emily Feng, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026 The game includes a ridiculous campaign centered around a new Korean civil war. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026 But the mayoral race has come to reflect a broader tension among Democratic officials navigating the party’s ideological civil war. — Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
  1. war
  2. cold war
  3. world war
  4. conflict
  5. holy war
  6. limited war
Noun
  • While Healey is expected to let a reduction in his fiscal buffer do most of the work on the basis that the Iran war has blown a hole in his accounts, tax increases are still likely.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In March, the Pentagon reportedly began shipping Patriot and THAAD components from South Korea to the Middle East to support the Iran war.
    — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • The Saudis, then mired in a regional cold war with Iran, viewed the Houthis as an Iranian proxy force that threatened the kingdom’s borders.
    — Kareem Fahim, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2026
  • During Wallace and Shakur’s own rift, Knight and Combs’ own cold war simmered and ran even hotter than many initially believed.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of cold war
Noun
  • But it was established in 1945 to avoid the staggering human and financial costs of another world war.
    — Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Born in 1946, in a country recovering from a civil war and a world war, Rodríguez entered a life marked by poverty in the southern Spanish village of Añora.
    — Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of world war
Noun
  • The vote, which had been scheduled for last week, was delayed after two days of deliberations because of growing wariness among Egyptians concerned about an intervention in Yemen's long-running conflict.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The risk of conflict is growing and the threat to the international economy is severe.
    — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • Yet, somehow, the labels jihad, holy war and suicide martyrs are still thrown around.
    — Reshma Memon Yaqub, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Even a local Catholic priest launched a holy war against the school over its new athletic facility.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of holy war
Noun
  • In this scenario, which may already be coming to fruition, the meager hope is that the conflict transforms into simply a more limited war.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Many scholars panned the book, believing its 34-year-old author had overestimated the nation’s ability to keep limited war limited.
    — David E. Sanger, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Definition of limited war

Browse Nearby Words

civil unions
civil war
civil wars
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Cite this Entry

“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20war. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on civil war

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civil war

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