phony war

noun

1. (in wartime) a period of apparent calm and inactivity, esp the period at the beginning of World War II
2. (in peacetime) a contrived embattled atmosphere; mock war

Example Sentences

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert alleges his successor Benjamin Netanyahu spent billions preparing for a phony war.

From The Daily Beast

So we are back to where we were and the phony war has been, from Labour's perspective, a fruitless exercise.

From The Daily Beast

Today: godless Senate candidates, phony war heroes, and lying children.

From The Daily Beast