war zone

American  

noun

1. (during wartime) a combat area in which the rights of neutrals are suspended, as such an area on the high seas, where ships flying a neutral flag are subject to attack.

---

Etymology

Origin of war zone

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

war zone

Well, for the first century of our republic, the border was a literal war zone.

From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026

"I didn't tell my wife I was in the war zone," he said, speaking back in India.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

But the extra cost of operating in a war zone, on top of standard marine insurance, certainly has been turning heads.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026

Shortages of oil and gas, as well as helium for high tech industries and feedstocks for fertiliser, are having an increasingly heavy impact on millions of people a long way from the war zone.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

For George Blake and his fellow prisoners, now being moved from location to location by their captors, all of North Korea had become a scorched war zone.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau