HOT WAR Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

hot war

noun

Definition of hot war

as in hostilities

a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups fortunately, the cool relationship between the two nations never escalated into a hot war

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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 hot war Yet deliberate hot war still ranks as the least likely of the five traps, because nuclear arsenals and deep commercial ties make escalation catastrophically expensive for both governments. — Newsweek Editors, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2026 The United States has powered through a change of power in Washington, a trade war, a hot war with Iran, a sharp round of monetary tightening, and an extended government shutdown without the engine giving out. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026 The same economy that has spent only two of the past 200 months in contraction is now staring down a hot war in the Persian Gulf, a fracturing trade system, and a Chinese president warning of moral as well as geopolitical collapse. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026 But American diplomacy — backed up by our military might — is what kept us out of a hot war with the Soviet Union, has prevented war between China and Taiwan, and ended conflict between Egypt and Israel, to name a few. — Elizabeth Shackelford, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hot war

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hot war

hostilities

Noun

Breaches are common and have been used strategically to set a standard, tit-for-tat style, of acceptable lower-level hostilities during the sensitive period.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
The recent military action tested an initial agreement that was supposed to halt hostilities during 60 days of negotiations.

— Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 29 June 2026

Definition of hostilities

Browse Nearby Words

hot (up)

hot war

hot wars

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“Hot war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hot%20war. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of hot war

noun

Example Sentences

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