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Synonyms

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.

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

"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

verb

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of war game

First recorded in 1820–30

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 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 a war game, but one with a serious purpose and high-profile players: members of the House select committee on China.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 22, 2023

Planning for the war game began in earnest in the summer of 2000.

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.