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 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 Iran for 47 years now has been at war — with the United States, with Iraq, economic war and now hot war. — Mishal Husain, Bloomberg, 13 Mar. 2026 There are hot wars in Ukraine and Gaza, cold wars on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait, and budding wars in Iran and parts of Africa. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 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

Brent’s price zigzagged between $72 and $102 last month as hopes rose and fell that the United States and Iran could reach an agreement to end hostilities and the threat to oil tankers in the strait.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
The administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, argued the war was over with a ceasefire and that hostilities then resumed.

— Bart Jansen, USA Today, 28 Aug. 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hot war

noun

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