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

See Examples For:

at war

“I am not at war with the ministry,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

And so it’s a neighborhood at war with itself, with some viewing Skid Row as one of the largest recovery centers in the country while others see a snapshot of social collapse.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Merely a week after the War of 1812 ended, the U.S. was at war with Algiers.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

South and North Korea are technically at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

There are the usual suspects: I love you, I hate you, I’m pregnant, I’m dying, I regret to tell you that this country is at war.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell