as in war
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
Both sides agreed to cease all hostilities.
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Recent Examples of hostilities
These meetings initially took place virtually and then in person across different capitals, seeking a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.
—
Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
But Putin had other ideas, tying a halt in hostilities to the West readmitting certain Russian banks into the West’s financial network.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
But even if Hamas and Israel hammer out a new, short-term agreement to halt hostilities, Gaza is unlikely to see real peace any time soon.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
That’s such an important point, particularly with what’s going on in the world now, and the hostilities towards not just science, but literally universities.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Calls to pause hostilities grew in the wake of the latest quake.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
With both sides at odds over Iran's nuclear program and maritime security, this incident could further escalate hostilities.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Ukraine’s General Staff denied the allegations, saying in a statement Wednesday that Russia’s claims were part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at justifying continued hostilities.
—Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
And a 2022 truce brokered by the United Nations has brought a reduction in hostilities but hasn’t ended the conflict.
—Abdulghani Aqlan, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Mar. 2025
Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
But Putin had other ideas, tying a halt in hostilities to the West readmitting certain Russian banks into the West’s financial network.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
But even if Hamas and Israel hammer out a new, short-term agreement to halt hostilities, Gaza is unlikely to see real peace any time soon.
—Amos Harel, Foreign Affairs, 7 Apr. 2025
That’s such an important point, particularly with what’s going on in the world now, and the hostilities towards not just science, but literally universities.
—Steven Strogatz, Quanta Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
Calls to pause hostilities grew in the wake of the latest quake.
—Chad De Guzman, Time, 3 Apr. 2025
With both sides at odds over Iran's nuclear program and maritime security, this incident could further escalate hostilities.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2025
Ukraine’s General Staff denied the allegations, saying in a statement Wednesday that Russia’s claims were part of a broader disinformation campaign aimed at justifying continued hostilities.
—Illia Novikov and Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2025
And a 2022 truce brokered by the United Nations has brought a reduction in hostilities but hasn’t ended the conflict.
—Abdulghani Aqlan, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hostilities
Noun
-
After Hamas conducted a surprise attack against Israel in October 2023, the group was backed in the ensuing war with Israel by Iran and its Axis of Resistance coalition of non-state actors in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 June 2025
-
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk was also a close ally of Trump during the initial stages of the trade war, further complicating the business outlook for U.S. automakers in China.—
Ganesh Rao,
CNBC,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
During the recent conflict, the Israeli Air Force demonstrated an impressive capability to reach targets deep inside Iran while relying on its aged Boeing 707 tankers for refueling its fighter jets.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Despite the flare-up, Wedbush technology analyst Dan Ives expects the conflict between Musk and Mr. Trump to die down moving forward.—
Anne Marie D. Lee,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hostilities.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hostilities. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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