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Synonyms

truce

American  
[troos] / trus /

noun

  1. a suspension of hostilities for a specified period of time by mutual agreement of the warring parties; cease-fire; armistice.

  2. an agreement or treaty establishing this.

  3. a temporary respite, as from trouble or pain.

    Synonyms:
    stay, rest, pause, lull

truce British  
/ truːs /

noun

  1. an agreement to stop fighting, esp temporarily

  2. temporary cessation of something unpleasant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does truce mean? A truce is a stoppage of fighting between two or more people or sides in a conflict, especially a temporary one.The agreement, or treaty, that establishes such a stoppage can also be called a truce. When used in the context of military conflicts, a truce is often temporary and set for a specified period of time.Truce can also be used casually to refer to an agreement between two or more people to stop arguing or engaging in some less serious form of conflict, like a pillow fight (not that pillow fights can’t get pretty intense).Example: I realized the bad blood between me and Taylor was really petty, so we both decided to call a truce.

Other Word Forms

  • truceless adjective

Etymology

Origin of truce

1175–1225; Middle English trewes, plural of trewe, Old English trēow belief, pledge, treaty. See trow

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The UN Security Council session is aimed at pushing for progress on a humanitarian truce, which has been elusive despite the enormous civilian suffering.

From BBC

Beijing’s primary objective is stability through a “truce extension” that moves beyond the current one-year trade framework, according to people close to the Chinese government.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gaza's health ministry, which operates under Hamas authorities, says at least 601 people have been killed since the truce began.

From Barron's

Analysts have attributed the rise to enthusiasm about artificial-intelligence breakthroughs in China and a truce in the trade war between the U.S. and China.

From The Wall Street Journal

Marshall brokered a cease-fire between a dismayed Chiang and gleeful Communists in January 1946: It was meant to last for two weeks but “became a four-month truce that changed the course of the civil war.”

From The Wall Street Journal