phony war

British

noun

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

"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

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 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 • Nov. 10, 2025

Call it a phony war, if you like, but the Community Shield suggested that Manchester City and Liverpool are set for another epic duel this season.

From The Guardian • Aug. 4, 2019

It's merely the first game in a protracted phony war, the group stage of the competition, which lasts two weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2010

"Arguably we are still in the phony war phase now," the investor said.

From Reuters • Jan. 13, 2010

He spoke from Rome during the phony war and the first Mediterranean fighting.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023