phony war

British  

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

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Example Sentences

The Ashes phony war began in the summer when David Warner described Root's front pad as a "surfboard", suggesting he is an lbw candidate.

From BBC

The U.S. military — an institution with a mixed record on racial equality — should close down this phony war by simply telling its own story with a full and open examination of the record.

From Washington Post

Ninety-five of the 96 games that constitute the group phase of the Champions League, six weeks of phony war that largely serve to check boxes, cross Ts and dot Is, were complete.

From New York Times

The Internet is a souk of cheap-jack merchandise — banners, flags, hats, bumper stickers, T-shirts — aimed at poor saps suckered into Trump’s phony war.

From Washington Post

It was not the “phony war” or “dróle de guerre” of British and French memory.

From New York Times