at war

Idioms  

1. 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

On Tuesday, a meeting in Washington brought Lebanese and Israeli representatives together for the first direct, high-level contact in three decades between the two countries, which remain formally at war.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The United States in 1968 was politically fractured and at war.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Here I ask you to google “U.S. presidents at war, how they spoke and wrote.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

After years at war – or performing military service as it were – they’re back to pick up where they left off with their lives, music and fans.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

Dennis was at war with the system, but as long as he kept his war out of the house and stayed in medical school, that was okay with Mommy.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride