Just as battles have their own unique language, idioms related to war add depth to our conversations.
In this article, we’ll break down the meanings behind these expressions and show you how they are used in everyday language. So, get ready to navigate the battlefield of idioms!
What is an idiom for War?
Idioms are like secret codes in language. They’re phrases that have hidden meanings beyond the words themselves.
War idioms often use battle-related terms to describe different situations in life. Let’s explore the meaning behind each of the idioms in our list and see how they can be applied:
| Idiom | Meaning | In a Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Declare War | Express strong opposition or hostility | When her trust was betrayed, she declared war on their friendship. |
| Go to War | Engage in a conflict, literal or metaphorical | The two companies went to war over the patent rights. |
| All’s Fair in Love and War | In challenging situations, all strategies are acceptable | He used every trick in the book, believing that all’s fair in love and war. |
| War of Words | An argument involving strong verbal confrontations | The political debate turned into a heated war of words. |
| War of Nerves | People try to make each other nervous or anxious | The tense standoff between negotiators became a war of nerves. |
| War of Attrition | Prolonged struggle, wearing down through continuous pressure | The labor strike turned into a war of attrition. |
| Declare a Ceasefire | Stop a conflict temporarily or agree to a truce | After hours of arguing, the siblings declared a ceasefire. |
| Call to Arms | Ask for support or action in times of crisis | The community leaders issued a call to arms for disaster relief efforts. |
| Drop the Bomb | Reveal shocking or surprising information | During the meeting, she dropped the bomb about the company’s bankruptcy. |
| Battle of Wits | Competition of intelligence or cleverness | The debate became a battle of wits among the students. |
| War Chest | Reserve of resources, often financial, for a specific purpose | The candidate used his war chest to fund his campaign. |
| War Machine | Powerful, well-organized military force | The nation possessed a formidable war machine. |
| War Room | Place for making important decisions | The crisis management team met in the war room to plan their response. |
| War Torn | Heavily affected by war, often with destruction | The documentary portrayed the struggles of people in war-torn regions. |
| War Cry | Fierce shout or slogan used before or during battle | Soldiers raised their war cry as they charged into battle. |
| Warhorse | Experienced and reliable person | She’s the warhorse of the team, having faced numerous obstacles. |
| Warpath | Determined and aggressive course | After the betrayal, he was on the warpath to confront the responsible party. |
| War Footing | State of readiness for war or significant challenge | The military was on a war footing, prepared for any threat. |
| War of Wills | Conflict of determination and perseverance | Their ongoing legal battle turned into a war of wills. |
| War Crime | Violation of war laws, often involving inhumane acts | The international court prosecuted those responsible for war crimes. |
| War Correspondent | Journalist covering wars and conflicts | The war correspondent risked her life to report from the battlefield. |
| War Effort | Combined actions and contributions during war | The entire country united in the war effort during World War II. |
| War Zone | Heavily affected by war, often dangerous and unstable | Journalists provide aid in war zones, facing great risks. |
| War Games | Simulated military exercises or strategic games | The military conducts war games to improve tactics. |
| War of the Roses | Historical conflict in England between Lancaster and York | The War of the Roses resulted in significant changes in English history. |
| War of Independence | Struggle for a nation or group to gain independence | The American War of Independence led to the birth of the United States. |
| War on Terror | Global campaign to combat terrorism | The War on Terror brought about changes in international security policies. |
War is like a raging wildfire, consuming everything in its path with destructive fury. For more comparisons to describe war, you can check this link: Similes for war. And for a variety of metaphors related to war, you can explore this link: Metaphors for war.
Idioms for War
1. Declare War
Meaning: To openly express strong opposition or hostility towards someone or something.
In a Sentence: When she found out her friend had betrayed her trust, she declared war on their friendship.
2. Go to War
Meaning: To engage in a conflict or battle, either literally or metaphorically.
In a Sentence: The two companies went to war over the rights to the patent, resulting in a lengthy legal battle.
3. All’s Fair in Love and War
Meaning: In challenging or competitive situations, all strategies, even unconventional ones, are considered acceptable.
In a Sentence: He used every trick in the book to win the chess match, believing that all’s fair in love and war.
4. War of Words
Meaning: An argument or conflict involving strong, verbal confrontations.
In a Sentence: The political debate turned into a heated war of words as the candidates clashed over their policies.
5. War of Nerves
Meaning: A situation where people try to make each other nervous or anxious.
In a Sentence: The tense standoff between the negotiators became a real war of nerves as they struggled to reach an agreement.
6. War of Attrition
Meaning: A prolonged struggle where each side tries to wear down the other through continuous pressure or small attacks.
In a Sentence: The labor strike turned into a war of attrition, with neither the workers nor the management willing to give in.
7. Declare a Ceasefire
Meaning: To stop a conflict temporarily or agree to a truce.
In a Sentence: After hours of arguing, the siblings finally declared a ceasefire and decided to discuss the matter later.
8. Call to Arms
Meaning: To ask for support or action, often in times of crisis or emergency.
In a Sentence: The community leaders issued a call to arms, urging residents to volunteer for disaster relief efforts.
9. Drop the Bomb
Meaning: To reveal shocking or surprising information.
In a Sentence: During the meeting, she dropped the bomb that the company was facing bankruptcy.
10. Battle of Wits
Meaning: A competition or conflict of intelligence or cleverness.
In a Sentence: The debate turned into a battle of wits as the students presented their arguments in a school competition.
11. War Chest
Meaning: A reserve of resources, often financial, set aside for a specific purpose or campaign.
In a Sentence: The political candidate used his war chest to fund his election campaign.
12. War Machine
Meaning: A powerful and well-organized military force.
In a Sentence: The nation had a formidable war machine, capable of defending its borders against any threat.
13. War Room
Meaning: A place where important decisions are made, typically in a strategic or crisis situation.
In a Sentence: The crisis management team gathered in the war room to plan their response to the natural disaster.
14. War Torn
Meaning: A place that has experienced significant destruction and suffering due to war.
In a Sentence: The documentary showcased the struggles of people living in war-torn regions, highlighting the need for humanitarian aid.
15. War Cry
Meaning: A loud and fierce shout or slogan used by a group before or during battle.
In a Sentence: The soldiers raised their war cry as they charged into battle, boosting their morale.
16. Warhorse
Meaning: An experienced and reliable person who has been through many challenges.
In a Sentence: She’s the warhorse of the team, having faced numerous obstacles during her career.
17. Warpath
Meaning: To be on a determined and aggressive course, often seeking revenge or conflict.
In a Sentence: After discovering the betrayal, he was on the warpath, determined to confront the person responsible.
18. War Footing
Meaning: Being in a state of readiness for war or preparedness for a significant challenge.
In a Sentence: The country’s military was on a war footing, prepared to respond swiftly to any external threat.
19. War of Wills
Meaning: A conflict or competition of determination and perseverance.
In a Sentence: Their ongoing legal battle turned into a war of wills, with both parties refusing to back down.
20. War Crime
Meaning: A violation of the laws and conventions of war, often involving inhumane acts.
In a Sentence: The international court prosecuted those responsible for war crimes committed during the conflict, seeking justice.
21. War Correspondent
Meaning: A journalist or reporter who covers and reports on wars and conflicts.
In a Sentence: The war correspondent risked her life to bring firsthand accounts of the battlefield to the world.
22. War Effort
Meaning: The combined actions and contributions made by a nation or group during a time of war.
In a Sentence: During World War II, the entire country united in the war effort, conserving resources and supporting the troops.
23. War Zone
Meaning: An area heavily affected by war, often dangerous and unstable.
In a Sentence: Journalists and humanitarian organizations provide aid in war zones, often facing great risks to help those in need.
24. War Games
Meaning: Simulated military exercises or strategic games.
In a Sentence: The military conducted war games to test their readiness for various scenarios and improve their tactics.
25. War of the Roses
Meaning: A historical conflict in England between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, symbolized by white and red roses.
In a Sentence: The War of the Roses was a series of civil wars that lasted for several decades, leading to significant changes in English history.
26. War of Independence
Meaning: A struggle by a nation or group to gain independence from a ruling power.
In a Sentence: The American War of Independence, also known as the Revolutionary War, led to the birth of the United States as an independent nation.
27. War on Terror
Meaning: A global campaign to combat terrorism, often associated with the response to the September 11 attacks.
In a Sentence: The War on Terror brought about significant changes in international security policies, with nations cooperating to prevent acts of terrorism.
Quizzes About The Idioms in The Article
Quiz 1: Declare War
- What does the idiom “Declare War” mean?
- a. To declare peace
- b. To openly express strong opposition or hostility
- c. To declare a truce
- In which sentence is the idiom “Declare War” correctly used?
- a. They decided to declare war and work together on the project.
- b. After the argument, they declared war on their friendship.
- c. She wanted to declare war on the upcoming exam.
Quiz 2: All’s Fair in Love and War
- What is the meaning of “All’s Fair in Love and War”?
- a. Everything is fair in love.
- b. In challenging situations, all strategies are considered acceptable.
- c. Only love is fair.
- Choose the correct sentence using the idiom “All’s Fair in Love and War”:
- a. All’s fair in love, but not in war.
- b. In the business world, all’s fair in love and war.
- c. They believed that all’s fair in love, but not in war.
Quiz 3: War of Attrition
- What does “War of Attrition” mean?
- a. A swift and decisive battle
- b. A prolonged struggle where each side wears down the other through continuous pressure
- c. A diplomatic negotiation
- In which sentence is the idiom “War of Attrition” correctly used?
- a. The soccer match turned into a war of attrition as both teams scored quickly.
- b. The labor strike became a war of attrition, with neither side giving in.
- c. The students engaged in a war of attrition during the spelling bee.
Quiz 4: War Cry
- What is the meaning of “War Cry”?
- a. A battle strategy
- b. A loud and fierce shout or slogan used in a conflict
- c. A peaceful declaration
- Identify the correct usage of the idiom “War Cry”:
- a. The children raised a war cry while playing in the park.
- b. The meeting ended with a war cry for unity.
- c. The orchestra’s performance was a war cry of harmony.
Quiz 5: War Room
- What does the idiom “War Room” mean?
- a. A room for peaceful negotiations
- b. A place where important decisions are made, typically during a crisis or strategic situation
- c. A room for storing war equipment
- Choose the correct sentence using the idiom “War Room”:
- a. The war room was filled with peaceful discussions about global conflicts.
- b. The leaders gathered in the war room to plan their response to the natural disaster.
- c. The war room was used for storing weapons during the battle.
These quizzes will test your understanding of the war-related idioms discussed in the article. Enjoy the challenge!
Conclusion
War idioms might have originated from the battlefield, but they have found their place in our everyday language. These expressions add depth and color to our conversations, allowing us to describe complex situations with simple phrases.
