war story
Americannoun
-
an account or anecdote concerning one's personal experiences, especially in military combat, during a war.
-
Informal. a story about hardships, ordeals, or adventures one has undergone.
Etymology
Origin of war story
First recorded in 1860–65
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 memorable, high-decibel work sequences make “The Bear” look and sound like a war story that happens to take place in a kitchen.
From New York Times • Dec. 26, 2022
“Onoda” is a long, slow-paced film, which in its first hour plays more like a conventional war story, showing the mental and practical preparation that goes into a military deployment.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 16, 2022
He joined the BBC and the head of drama asked to turn his war story into a drama, Mimosa Boys, screened as part of the Play for Today series.
From BBC • May 3, 2022
Surely because by doing so, the author can envelop a putatively alien West African war story in a familiar American setting.
From Washington Post • Nov. 2, 2021
While the county paper carried details of Guy Wortman’s humiliation, the city papers carried a war story that had its own overtones of the ridiculous.
From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt
![]()
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.