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holy war
noun
: a war or violent campaign waged often by religious extremists for what is considered to be a holy purpose
Examples of holy war in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With Gamestop, this eventually wrapped back around into something that’s part cult, part get-rich-quick scheme, part righteous holy war against investors, and part cyberpunk cautionary tale.
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Amber Dasilva / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 July 2024
Busch has framed her quest to unearth election fraud in Arizona — which has been debunked by independent investigators — in the language of a religious holy war.
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Azi Paybarah, Washington Post, 27 June 2024
Paul knows from his own dreams that this sparked holy war he's just started will kill billions (with a B) of people.
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Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024
And at the center of this web are the ayatollahs declaring holy war on the Great Satan (which is us).
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New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 Jan. 2024
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holy war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1639, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near holy war
Cite this Entry
“Holy war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy%20war. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Kids Definition
holy war
noun
: a war or violent campaign carried on for what is considered a holy purpose
More from Merriam-Webster on holy war
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for holy war
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holy war
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