war-game

1 of 2

verb

ˈwȯr-ˌgām How to pronounce war-game (audio)
war-gamed; war-gaming; war-games

transitive verb

: to plan or conduct in the manner of a war game
… war-gamed an invasion …—Newsweek

intransitive verb

: to conduct a war game

war game

2 of 2

noun

1
: a simulated battle or campaign to test military concepts and usually conducted in conferences by officers acting as the opposing staffs
2
: a two-sided umpired training maneuver with actual elements of the armed forces participating

Examples of war-game in a Sentence

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.
Verb
Experts across Washington are already war-gaming potential scenarios in which one country gets the upper hand in AI. — Caitlin Babcock, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2026 According to former Pentagon officials, by analyzing documents, video, and images coming in from the battlefield, AI can help the military war-game out scenarios to minimize casualties and determine which weapons can be most effective. — Emily Pandise, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
Noun
During the first two days of the island’s largest war games, some 20,000 reservists were mobilized to practice the defense of critical infrastructure such as ports, power plants and bridges. — Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026 In the war game, troops treated drones like ammunition, using at least 20 each day. — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for war-game

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1923, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of war-game was in 1871

Rhymes for war-game

See All Rhymes for war-game

Browse Nearby Words

war footing
war-game
war game
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“War-game.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war-game. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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