war game

American  

noun

Military.

1. a simulated military operation, carried out to test the validity of a war plan or operational concept: in its simplest form, two opposing teams of officers take part, and when necessary, military units of the required strength are employed.

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war game British  

noun

1. a notional tactical exercise for training military commanders, in which no military units are actually deployed

2. a game in which model soldiers are used to create battles, esp past battles, in order to study tactics

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verb

1. (intr) to prepare for battle by considering possible tactics and enemy responses

Etymology

Origin of war game

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

war game

“This was a war game in a residential neighborhood recently devastated by catastrophic fire that took place in a weeknight, in the middle of the night.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026

The world's best-selling war game saga, "Call of Duty", releases its latest instalment Friday, under pressure to rival the strong launch of longtime competitor "Battlefield".

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025

“They shouldn’t be the rope in this tug of war game that’s going on,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2025

Chess, by and large, is a war game played by nonmartial people who would have trouble identifying the business end of an M16 or explaining the difference between an embrasure and a sally port.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 26, 2023

It was the largest and most expensive war game thus far in history.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• dress rehearsal
• tryout