holy war

noun

Definition of holy warnext
as in civil 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 holy war Some of these invocations align with Hegseth’s recurring references to the Crusades in the Middle Ages – a centuries-long holy war between Christians and Muslims. — Samuel Perry, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026 This approach had a lasting impact, and even centuries after the mainline Crusades to the Holy Land ended, the pope continued to invoke the concept of holy war to justify resistance against the Ottoman Empire and other Muslim entities. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Apr. 2026 Get ready for a 17-year time jump, as Timothée Chalamet's older, more jaded Paul Atreides continues to wrestle with holy war, his messianic status, and the fallout from opting to marry Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) rather than his Fremen girlfriend Chani (Zendaya). — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 17 Mar. 2026 Huffman is eager to find out more about claims that the military is promoting its operation in Iran as a holy war. — Alexei Koseff, San Francisco Chronicle, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for holy war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy war
  1. civil war
  2. cold war
  3. world war
  4. limited war
Noun
  • Syria’s conflict, which began with anti-government protests in March 2011 before turning into a civil war, left 500,000 people dead and over 1 million wounded.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Their meddling repeatedly yielded devastating outcomes, however, contributing to a military coup in Egypt and several civil wars.
    — MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of civil war
Noun
  • The report, based on in-depth interviews with single-family office principals and CIOs across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, captures a generational cold war playing out inside the world’s most secretive financial institutions.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 June 2026
  • Ahead of season 3, EW has launched three motion covers, each one starring a contender for the crown — as the show's cold war escalates into literal dragon fire.
    — Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 29 May 2026
Definition of cold war
Noun
  • Born in 1946, in a country recovering from a civil war and a world war, Rodríguez entered a life marked by poverty in the southern Spanish village of Añora.
    — Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But for the most part, today’s athletes weren’t shaped by the Great Depression and a world war.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of world war
Noun
  • In this scenario, which may already be coming to fruition, the meager hope is that the conflict transforms into simply a more limited war.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2024
  • Many scholars panned the book, believing its 34-year-old author had overestimated the nation’s ability to keep limited war limited.
    — David E. Sanger, New York Times, 30 Nov. 2023
Definition of limited war

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Holy Joes
holy war
holy wars
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Cite this Entry

“Holy war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy%20war. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on holy war

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holy war

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