war of words
noun phrase
: an argument in which people or groups criticize and disagree with each other publicly and repeatedly for usually a long time
Rival groups have engaged in a war of words over the new law.
Examples of war of words in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Earlier this month, Sharpe and O’Neal's disagreement over the 2024 NBA MVP choice led to a war of words that included an unexpected diss track from O’Neal on May 10.
—
Danielle Jennings, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
What started as a war of words between Lamar and Drake quickly devolved into something more sinister, with each airing the other’s dirty laundry in public and taking vicious potshots.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 8 May 2024
Their war of words hit a crescendo on the weekend of May 3, but tensions have been simmering for years.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2024
Released in the early morning hours Thursday, the video is the second provocative recruiting ad that, in itself, exemplifies the kind of work the psyop soldiers do to influence public opinion and wage the war of words overseas.
—Lolita C. Baldor, Fortune, 3 May 2024
The film follows her professional and personal life during the media and political firestorm from 2016 to today and the aftermath of her war of words and attorneys with Trump.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
In any case, the war of words reflects the high electoral stakes surrounding the issue.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2024
In the intense war of words over the Israel-Gaza war, a particular phrase has popped up repeatedly.
—Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2024
In a teaser video — shared on Wednesday (Oct 18) — playing on the fact that the Latin music sensation is set to play double duty this weekend as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Benito goes head to his head with his own clone in a hilarious war of words.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2023
Danielle Jennings, Peoplemag, 13 May 2024
What started as a war of words between Lamar and Drake quickly devolved into something more sinister, with each airing the other’s dirty laundry in public and taking vicious potshots.
—Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 8 May 2024
Their war of words hit a crescendo on the weekend of May 3, but tensions have been simmering for years.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 6 May 2024
Released in the early morning hours Thursday, the video is the second provocative recruiting ad that, in itself, exemplifies the kind of work the psyop soldiers do to influence public opinion and wage the war of words overseas.
—Lolita C. Baldor, Fortune, 3 May 2024
The film follows her professional and personal life during the media and political firestorm from 2016 to today and the aftermath of her war of words and attorneys with Trump.
—Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024
In any case, the war of words reflects the high electoral stakes surrounding the issue.
—Haisten Willis, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 1 Feb. 2024
In the intense war of words over the Israel-Gaza war, a particular phrase has popped up repeatedly.
—Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2024
In a teaser video — shared on Wednesday (Oct 18) — playing on the fact that the Latin music sensation is set to play double duty this weekend as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, Benito goes head to his head with his own clone in a hilarious war of words.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 18 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'war of words.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near war of words
Cite this Entry
“War of words.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20of%20words. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
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