as in civil war
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Recent Examples of holy war
The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America’s Founding Document
by John Bidwell
Rozina Ali
God’s Directive
After the September 11 attacks, evangelical American missionaries followed military tanks into Afghanistan and Iraq to convert Muslims as part of a holy war.
—
The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2024
With Gamestop, this eventually wrapped back around into something that’s part cult, part get-rich-quick scheme, part righteous holy war against investors, and part cyberpunk cautionary tale.
—Amber Dasilva / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 July 2024
Busch has framed her quest to unearth election fraud in Arizona — which has been debunked by independent investigators — in the language of a religious holy war.
—Azi Paybarah, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
Paul knows from his own dreams that this sparked holy war he's just started will kill billions (with a B) of people.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for holy war 
The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2024
With Gamestop, this eventually wrapped back around into something that’s part cult, part get-rich-quick scheme, part righteous holy war against investors, and part cyberpunk cautionary tale.
—Amber Dasilva / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 July 2024
Busch has framed her quest to unearth election fraud in Arizona — which has been debunked by independent investigators — in the language of a religious holy war.
—Azi Paybarah, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
Paul knows from his own dreams that this sparked holy war he's just started will kill billions (with a B) of people.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for holy war
Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy war
Noun
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Forced to flee during the Dominican Republic’s turbulent civil war, Quezada’s family immigrated to Manhattan’s bustling Latin district, Washington Heights, just as the diaspora’s thirst for homespun music intensified.—
Holly Jones,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2025
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Online scam factories – many run by Chinese crime syndicates – have proliferated in Myanmar, which has been riven by a bloody civil war since the military seized power in 2021.—
Kocha Olarn,
CNN,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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His efforts at alliance building reflected not the beginning of a multipolar era but an ideological contest between democracy and autocracy in a new cold war with China.—
Michael Brenes,
Foreign Affairs,
28 Jan. 2025
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Over generations, policy makers have created many subclasses of conflict: cold wars, police actions, hybrid wars, cyber wars.—
Phillips Payson O’Brien,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Jacket by Issey Miyake, Pants and gloves by Yori, Tank Top by Calvin Klein, Hat by Kapital The internet music landscape is a cyclone of constant clickbait nowadays, where people treat every micro-beef like a world war and make jokes out of serious issues.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
12 Feb. 2025
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Tariffs leading up to Trump The U.S. reversed course after realizing how tariffs can fuel foreign policy issues and contribute to world wars, said Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Stiefel Trade Policy Center of the CATO Institute.—
Greg Iacurci,Ana Teresa Solá,
CNBC,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in a limited war since last October, but Israeli forces have significantly escalated the scope of their attacks since the beginning of September in an attempt to force Hezbollah to stop its attacks on northern Israel.—
Mike Brest,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
30 Sep. 2024
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near holy war
Cite this Entry
“Holy war.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy%20war. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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