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shooting war

American  

noun

  1. open conflict between hostile nations involving direct military engagements.


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.

"That we find ourselves in the position where we got hit in a known shooting war inside a missile threat is pretty incredible."

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Meanwhile, Taiwan and the U.S. will also have to prepare for a challenge short of a shooting war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Tehran promises major retaliation, but neither Israel nor Iran wants a major shooting war, given the stakes for both countries.

From New York Times • Apr. 2, 2024

Special Operations Command-Korea, a vital unit that would play a key role should a shooting war break out on the tense, long-divided Korean peninsula.

From Washington Times • May 11, 2023

We have sought no shooting war with Hitler.

From The Fireside Chats of Franklin Delano Roosevelt by Roosevelt, Franklin Delano