ceasefire

noun

cease·​fire ˈsēs-ˈfi(-ə)r How to pronounce ceasefire (audio)
variants or less commonly cease-fire
plural ceasefires also cease-fires
1
: a military order to cease firing
2
: a suspension of active hostilities

Examples of ceasefire in a Sentence

the two armies declared a ceasefire for the holiday
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.
Israel halted all humanitarian aid into Gaza in early March, with government officials saying their goal was to force Hamas to accept new ceasefire terms and release hostages taken during the militant group’s terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 All of the major political issues, such as establishing a ceasefire, Ukraine's future foreign policy trajectory, and the disposition of Russian military forces inside Ukraine were kicked down the road to a later date. Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025 Ukraine is demanding a full 30-day ceasefire during which time peace negotiations can take place. David Brennan, ABC News, 3 June 2025 Meanwhile, Hamas rejected a ceasefire deal with Israel, and dozens of Gazans are killed on their way to pick up aid. Medora Lee, USA Today, 3 June 2025 The full extent of Operation Spider’s Web, as it was called, demonstrated Ukraine’s evolving tactics, the significance of drones in the conflict, and possibly a more aggressive campaign if the ceasefire negotiations fail. Mike Brest, The Washington Examiner, 2 June 2025 The two sides agreed to prisoner exchanges and to each return the bodies of 6,000 deceased enemy soldiers, but no ceasefire or peace breakthrough emerged. Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025 In other words, the tariff ceasefire may be intact for now, but trust in its durability is rapidly eroding. Catherine Baab, Quartz, 2 June 2025 Opinion polls show widespread support for a ceasefire that would include the return of all the hostages, with a survey from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem this week showing 70% in favour of a deal. Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA Today, 23 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ceasefire was in 1844

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Cite this Entry

“Ceasefire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ceasefire. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

cease-fire

noun
ˈsēs-ˈfī(ə)r
: a temporary stopping of warfare

More from Merriam-Webster on ceasefire

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