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
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Recent Examples of civil war
South Sudan, located in East Africa, has been embroiled in several civil wars, most recently from 2013 to 2020.
—
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Set at first in 2007, when Hamas seized control after a brief civil war with opposing party Fatah, the story backgrounds the politics while foregrounding a low-key crime dramedy filled with flashes of dark humor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
Yet in the space of a few days, civil war broke out within the FIFA Council, which is the decision-making body that sits at the top of the organisation.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The electorate was on edge, with fears that a civil war was inevitable.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 20 May 2025
Set at first in 2007, when Hamas seized control after a brief civil war with opposing party Fatah, the story backgrounds the politics while foregrounding a low-key crime dramedy filled with flashes of dark humor.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025
Yet in the space of a few days, civil war broke out within the FIFA Council, which is the decision-making body that sits at the top of the organisation.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The electorate was on edge, with fears that a civil war was inevitable.
—Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil war
Noun
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In 2016 the pair released some in-progress footage from the film, in which Ophuls journeys to Tel Aviv in the midst of the war to interview Israelis, including West Bank settler leaders, and other pro-Israel visitors who espouse racist views on camera.—
Andrew Lapin,
Sun Sentinel,
27 May 2025
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Trump’s criticism of Putin comes after Russia launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war, in which more than 360 drones and missiles hit Ukraine and at least 12 people died, the Associated Press reported.—
Molly Bohannon,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Orson Welles’s 1955 cold war thriller Mr. Arkadin is the key to Wes Anderson’s psychological puzzle The Phoenician Scheme.—
Armond White,
National Review,
30 May 2025
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The outcome of the Geneva talks was a temporary de-escalation of a wide-ranging cold war that is in fact much bigger than trade.—
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
Noun
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The aftermath of two world wars shattered many of the old certainties.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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It was deployed during the War of 1812 and both world wars.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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On April 10, tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports, including fireworks, climbed as high as 145% as a tit-for-tat trade conflict between China and the United States escalated.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
26 May 2025
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Instead of blaming or withdrawing, reconnect after hard moments and show your child that conflict doesn’t have to lead to shame or disconnection.—
Reem Raouda,
CNBC,
25 May 2025
Noun
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In 1992, the government pressured Muslim clerics to declare a holy war against Nuba who opposed the regime.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
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While Tedesco calls for a holy war in response to the attack, Benitez takes a different approach, declaring that violence should not be met with more violence.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In contrast, China has made targeted investments intended to give it an advantage in a quick, limited war, while keeping its overall defense spending relatively modest: Beijing’s defense spending has risen from five percent of U.S. levels in 1995 to 32 percent in 2017.—
Oriana Skylar Mastro,
Foreign Affairs,
20 May 2025
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And as always, there’s no guarantee that a limited war would stay limited.—
Joshua Keating,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Civil war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20war. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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