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at war

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Idioms and Phrases

Engaged in armed conflict; also, in a state of disagreement. This term may be used literally, usually of nations or smaller groups engaged in armed hostilities, as well as hyperbolically, describing a mild disagreement as “war,” and figuratively, for an inner conflict. For example, The Greeks and Turks have been at war for many years (literally); The two families were at war about the bill for the wedding reception (hyperbolic); and, as Shakespeare put it in Measure for Measure (2:2): “I am at war 'twixt will and will not” (inner conflict of indecision). [Late 1300s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"The same cursed clans we were born into are at war again," says Ali, who at first manages to save Salah's life before he himself becomes a target.

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European countries that are candidates to join the EU will automatically be considered safe, although exceptions are possible, for example for countries at war such as Ukraine.

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After all, though it’s seldom thought of that way, he’s at war with the planet in a fashion that’s no less brutal than what he’s now doing in Yemen.

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Morton asked Falconer if he accepted that "British nationals visiting Israel, a country that is at war, should be aware of those requirements and consider them carefully before making decisions to travel and that they therefore travel to Israel at their own risk?"

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When soldiers aren't at war, they are training, and much of what they do is dangerous.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

atwain Atwater

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