phony war

noun

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

Example Sentences

Bombshells, blackholes and pledges - this morning’s announcements are part of a fiscal phony war ahead of the release of party manifestos in a fortnight.

From BBC

He believes Vietnam was a phony war run by the Kremlin.

From Salon

The U.S. military — an institution with a mixed record on racial equality — should close down this phony war by simply telling its own story with a full and open examination of the record.

From Washington Post

Says ex-Facebook chief security officer Alex Stamos: “There will be another breakout consumer app from a Chinese-aligned multinational and the Biden administration will have to assemble a cohesive strategy out of the wreckage of the Trump-TikTok phony war.”

From The Verge

Ninety-five of the 96 games that constitute the group phase of the Champions League, six weeks of phony war that largely serve to check boxes, cross Ts and dot Is, were complete.

From New York Times