truce

1 of 2

noun

1
: a suspension of fighting especially of considerable duration by agreement of opposing forces : armistice, ceasefire
2
: a respite especially from a disagreeable or painful state or action

truce

2 of 2

verb

truced; trucing

intransitive verb

: to make a truce

transitive verb

: to end with a truce

Examples of truce in a Sentence

Noun There's been an uneasy truce between her and her parents for the past several months. both sides agreed to a 24-hour truce beginning at midnight on Christmas Eve
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.
Noun
Then, when the 90-day truce dropped those tariffs to 30%, those same businesses raced to get their cargo out of warehouses and paid extra to ship additional goods. Alina Selyukh, NPR, 30 May 2025 Israel has accepted a new ceasefire proposal with Hamas from US envoy Steve Witkoff, which includes the release of 10 living hostages and 18 deceased hostages, as well as a 60-day truce. Jade Walker, CNN Money, 30 May 2025 Witkoff said Israel had agreed to a temporary truce if Hamas would release dozens of hostages. Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 27 May 2025 The president announced broad terms of a trade deal with with the United Kingdom earlier this month, followed by a tariff truce with China. Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for truce

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English trewes, plural of trewe agreement, from Old English trēow fidelity; akin to Old English trēowe faithful — more at true entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of truce was in the 13th century

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Cite this Entry

“Truce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truce. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

truce

noun
ˈtrüs
1
: a temporary stopping of fighting (as in a war)
2
: a short rest especially from something unpleasant

More from Merriam-Webster on truce

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