war
noun /wɔː(r)/
  /wɔːr/
Idioms - [uncountable, countable] a situation in which two or more countries or groups of people fight against each other over a period of time
- the Second World War
 - the threat of (a) nuclear war
 - to win/lose a/the war
 - war between A and B the war between England and Scotland
 - war with somebody England's war with Scotland
 - war against somebody The war against Spain lasted 18 years.
 - war on somebody It was the year Britain declared war on Germany.
 - (formal) In the Middle Ages England waged war on France.
 - He returned home to the US at the end of the war.
 - Social and political problems led to the outbreak (= the beginning) of war.
 - Where were you living when war broke out?
 - The government does not want to go to war (= start a war) unless all other alternatives have failed.
 - The two countries fought a short but bloody war.
 - My grandfather fought in the war.
 - Her husband was killed during the war.
 - at war How long have they been at war?
 - a war hero/veteran
 - More troops are being despatched to the war zone.
 - (formal) the theatre of war (= the area in which fighting takes place)
 
Homophones war | worewar wore/wɔː(r)//wɔːr/- war noun
- It's in memory of the soldiers who gave their lives during the war.
 
 - wore verb (past tense of wear)
- He wore his raincoat all day, even though it was sunny.
 
 
Collocations War and peaceWar and peaceStarting a war- declare/make/wage war (on somebody/something)
 - go to war (against/with somebody)
 - cause/spark/provoke/foment/quell unrest
 - incite/lead/crush/suppress a revolt/rebellion
 - launch/mount/carry out a surprise/terrorist attack
 - prevent/halt/represent an escalation of the conflict
 - be torn apart by/be on the brink of civil war
 - enter/invade/occupy somebody’s territory
 - lead/launch/resist/repel an invasion
 
- adopt/develop/implement/pursue a military strategy
 - carry out/execute/perform military operations/manoeuvres
 - send/deploy/station/pull back/withdraw troops
 - go on/fly/carry out a reconnaissance/rescue mission
 - train/equip/deploy army/military/combat units
 - lead/launch/conduct a raid/a surprise attack/an (air/airborne/amphibious) assault (on somebody)
 - employ/use guerrilla tactics
 - conduct/wage biological/guerrilla warfare
 - fight/crush/defeat the rebels/the insurgency
 - suffer/inflict a crushing defeat
 - achieve/win a decisive victory
 - halt/stop the British/German/Russian advance
 - order/force a retreat
 
- join/serve in the army/navy/air force
 - be/go/remain/serve on active duty
 - serve/complete/return from a tour of duty
 - be sent to the front (line)
 - attack/strike/engage/defeat/kill/destroy the enemy
 - see/report/be engaged in heavy fighting
 - call for/be met with armed resistance
 - come under heavy/machine-gun/mortar fire
 - fire a machine-gun/mortar shells/rockets (at somebody/something)
 - shoot a rifle/a pistol/bullets/missiles
 - launch/fire a cruise/ballistic/anti-tank missile
 - use biological/chemical/nuclear weapons
 - inflict/suffer/sustain heavy losses/casualties
 - be hit/killed by enemy/friendly/artillery fire
 - become/be held as a prisoner of war
 
- harm/kill/target/protect innocent/unarmed civilians
 - cause/avoid/limit/minimize civilian casualties/collateral damage
 - impose/enforce/lift a curfew
 - engage in/be a victim of ethnic cleansing
 - be sent to an internment/a concentration camp
 - accept/house/resettle refugees fleeing from war
 - fear/threaten military/violent reprisals
 - commit/be accused of war crimes/crimes against humanity/genocide
 
- make/bring/win/achieve/maintain/promote peace
 - call for/negotiate/broker/declare a ceasefire/a temporary truce
 - sign a ceasefire agreement
 - call for/bring/put an end to hostilities
 - demand/negotiate/accept the surrender of somebody/something
 - establish/send (in) a peacekeeping force
 - negotiate/conclude/ratify/sign/accept/reject/break/violate a peace treaty
 
Wordfindersee also civil war, cold war, council of war, phoney war, post-war, pre-war, prisoner of war, proxy war, warring, world war- aggression
 - arms
 - army
 - attack
 - casualty
 - conflict
 - defend
 - hostile
 - territory
 - war
 
Extra ExamplesTopics War and conflicta2- Both candidates have distinguished war records.
 - Congress has made a formal declaration of war.
 - Every available resource went towards the war effort.
 - He took part in the Vietnam War.
 - He was wounded twice during the course of the war.
 - In times of war, troops were billeted in the mill.
 - My grandfather fought in the Korean War.
 - Six years of total war had left no citizen untouched.
 - The Spartans were persuaded to make war on Athens.
 - The US declared war on Japan.
 - The United States entered the war in 1917.
 - The country has long been a theatre/theater of war.
 - The country was now in a state of war.
 - The country went to war in 1914.
 - The crisis took Europe to the brink of war.
 - The outcome of the war was far from certain.
 - The terrorists were charged with waging war against the state.
 - The war raged for nearly two years.
 - These aircraft are designed to take troops and weapons to any theatre of war in the shortest time possible.
 - Unexploded mines were a big danger to civilians in the aftermath of the war.
 - a country at war
 - a war of liberation
 - critiques of the mainstream media's war coverage
 - killed in war
 - talks to prevent the war from escalating
 - the Greek war for independence
 - the Soviet war machine
 - the shortage of food during the war years
 - the war against the French
 - the war correspondent of a daily newspaper
 - war between Iran and Iraq
 - The USA declared war on Germany in 1917.
 - The two countries were at war for eight years.
 - When war broke out he became separated from his family.
 
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- long
 - short
 - impending
 - …
 
- be in
 - fight in
 - fight
 - …
 
- approach
 - loom
 - threaten
 - …
 
- years
 - hero
 - veteran
 - …
 
- at war
 - between the wars
 - in (a/the) war
 - …
 
- the aftermath of the war
 - the brink of war
 - the course of a/the war
 - …
 
 - [countable, uncountable] a situation in which there is aggressive competition between groups, companies, countries, etc.
- war with somebody The US threatened a trade war with Europe after the breakdown of the talks.
 - war against/on somebody They launched a trade war against France.
 
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- long
 - short
 - impending
 - …
 
- be in
 - fight in
 - fight
 - …
 
- approach
 - loom
 - threaten
 - …
 
- years
 - hero
 - veteran
 - …
 
- at war
 - between the wars
 - in (a/the) war
 - …
 
- the aftermath of the war
 - the brink of war
 - the course of a/the war
 - …
 
 - [uncountable, singular] a fight or an effort over a long period of time to get rid of or stop something unpleasant
- war on somebody/something The government has declared war on drug dealers.
 - Our two countries work together in fighting the war on terrorism.
 - war against somebody/something We seem to be winning the war against crime.
 - a war against drug abuse
 
Synonyms campaigncampaign- battle
 - struggle
 - drive
 - war
 - fight
 
- campaign a series of planned activities that are intended to achieve a particular social, commercial or political aim:
- the campaign for parliamentary reform
 - an advertising campaign
 
 - battle a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control:
- She finally won the legal battle for compensation.
 - the endless battle between man and nature
 
 - struggle a competition or argument between people or groups of people trying to win power or control:
- the struggle for independence
 - the struggle between good and evil
 
 
- drive an organized effort by a group of people to achieve something:
- the drive for greater efficiency
 - a drive to reduce energy consumption
 
 
- war [sing.] an effort over a long period of time to get rid of or stop something bad:
- the war against crime
 
 - fight [sing.] the work of trying to stop or prevent something bad or achieve something good; an act of competing, especially in a sport:
- Workers won their fight to stop compulsory redundancies.
 
 
- a campaign/battle/struggle/drive/war/fight against something
 - a campaign/battle/struggle/drive/fight for something
 - a one-man/one-woman/personal campaign/battle/struggle/war
 - a bitter campaign/battle/struggle/drive/war/fight
 - to launch/embark on a campaign/battle/drive
 - to lead/continue the campaign/battle/struggle/drive/fight
 - to win/lose a battle/struggle/war/fight
 
 
Word Originlate Old English werre, from an Anglo-Norman French variant of Old French guerre, from a Germanic base shared by worse.
Idioms 
all’s fair in love and war 
- (saying) in some situations any type of behaviour is acceptable to get what you want
 
have been in the wars 
- (informal) to have been injured in a fight or an accident
- You look like you've been in the wars—who gave you that black eye?
 
 
a war of nerves 
- an attempt to defeat your opponents by putting pressure on them so that they lose courage or confidence
- The union has been fighting a war of nerves with the management over pay.
 
 
a war of words 
- a bitter argument over a period of time between two or more people or groups
- the political war of words over tax