50 Idioms for War with Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for War
1. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To endure a painful or difficult situation bravely.
In a Sentence: Soldiers often have to bite the bullet and face the enemy.
Other Ways to Say: Tough it out, Face the music
2. Arm oneself
Meaning: To get ready for battle.
In a Sentence: The warriors armed themselves for the coming war.
Other Ways to Say: Gear up, Prepare for battle
3. Rally the troops
Meaning: To gather and motivate people.
In a Sentence: The leader rallied the troops before the final battle.
Other Ways to Say: Unite the team, Bring people together
4. Go to war
Meaning: To start a conflict.
In a Sentence: The country went to war after repeated provocations.
Other Ways to Say: Engage in battle, Declare war
5. Fire the first shot
Meaning: To initiate a fight or conflict.
In a Sentence: The rebels fired the first shot and chaos erupted.
Other Ways to Say: Start the fight, Begin hostilities
6. Draw the battle lines
Meaning: To prepare for confrontation.
In a Sentence: Both parties drew the battle lines before the big debate.
Other Ways to Say: Get ready for conflict, Define opposition
7. Take up arms
Meaning: To begin fighting.
In a Sentence: The villagers took up arms to defend their homes.
Other Ways to Say: Fight back, Defend oneself
8. Cry havoc
Meaning: To signal chaos or war.
In a Sentence: The tyrant cried havoc and released his army.
Other Ways to Say: Incite destruction, Begin the battle
9. In the trenches
Meaning: In the middle of hard work or conflict.
In a Sentence: He spent years in the trenches during the war.
Other Ways to Say: On the front lines, Deep in action
10. War of words
Meaning: A heated verbal dispute.
In a Sentence: The politicians are engaged in a war of words.
Other Ways to Say: Verbal battle, Heated argument
11. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To surrender or give up.
In a Sentence: After months of losses, they threw in the towel.
Other Ways to Say: Surrender, Admit defeat
12. Guerilla warfare
Meaning: Surprise attacks by small groups.
In a Sentence: The rebels used guerrilla warfare to weaken the enemy.
Other Ways to Say: Hit-and-run tactics, Unconventional fighting
13. Drop a bombshell
Meaning: To make a shocking announcement.
In a Sentence: The general dropped a bombshell by resigning suddenly.
Other Ways to Say: Shock everyone, Reveal surprise
14. Cross swords
Meaning: To argue or fight.
In a Sentence: The two commanders crossed swords over strategy.
Other Ways to Say: Clash, Disagree
15. Heavy artillery
Meaning: Strong weapons or arguments.
In a Sentence: They brought out the heavy artillery in court.
Other Ways to Say: Big guns, Strong force
16. Behind enemy lines
Meaning: In the territory of the opponent.
In a Sentence: The spy was caught behind enemy lines.
Other Ways to Say: In hostile ground, Deep in danger
17. Wave the white flag
Meaning: To surrender.
In a Sentence: They waved the white flag after a long fight.
Other Ways to Say: Give up, Seek peace
18. Go down in flames
Meaning: To fail dramatically.
In a Sentence: Their invasion plan went down in flames.
Other Ways to Say: Crash and burn, Collapse
19. Fight tooth and nail
Meaning: To fight fiercely.
In a Sentence: They fought tooth and nail for independence.
Other Ways to Say: Battle hard, Struggle fiercely
20. On the warpath
Meaning: Angry and looking for conflict.
In a Sentence: She was on the warpath after hearing the news.
Other Ways to Say: Furious, Out for revenge
21. Lock horns
Meaning: To engage in conflict.
In a Sentence: The two sides locked horns over resources.
Other Ways to Say: Clash, Confront
22. Full-scale war
Meaning: Intense and widespread conflict.
In a Sentence: The small fight escalated into a full-scale war.
Other Ways to Say: Total war, Major conflict
23. Shot across the bow
Meaning: A warning or threat.
In a Sentence: The sanctions were a shot across the bow.
Other Ways to Say: Warning sign, First signal
24. Take no prisoners
Meaning: To be ruthless.
In a Sentence: He takes no prisoners in negotiations.
Other Ways to Say: Be merciless, Show no mercy
25. Come under fire
Meaning: To be attacked or criticized.
In a Sentence: The policy came under fire from the public.
Other Ways to Say: Be attacked, Receive backlash
26. In the line of fire
Meaning: At risk of harm.
In a Sentence: He was caught in the line of fire during the protest.
Other Ways to Say: In danger, Exposed to harm
27. Marching orders
Meaning: Instructions to leave or act.
In a Sentence: He got his marching orders after the mission failed.
Other Ways to Say: Dismissal, Orders to go
28. Trigger-happy
Meaning: Eager to start conflict or use force.
In a Sentence: That commander is known for being trigger-happy.
Other Ways to Say: Aggressive, Quick to react
29. No man’s land
Meaning: Dangerous or unoccupied zone.
In a Sentence: The field between armies became no man’s land.
Other Ways to Say: Unsafe zone, Neutral ground
30. Call to arms
Meaning: A request to prepare for battle.
In a Sentence: The leader issued a call to arms after the attack.
Other Ways to Say: Summon to fight, Mobilization
31. On the front lines
Meaning: In the most active or dangerous position.
In a Sentence: Doctors were on the front lines during the pandemic.
Other Ways to Say: In action, First responders
32. Smoke out
Meaning: To force out of hiding.
In a Sentence: The army smoked out the rebels from the forest.
Other Ways to Say: Flush out, Expose
33. Under siege
Meaning: Being attacked or pressured continuously.
In a Sentence: The castle was under siege for days.
Other Ways to Say: Surrounded, Under pressure
34. Hit the target
Meaning: To succeed precisely.
In a Sentence: Their strategy really hit the target.
Other Ways to Say: Succeed, Be spot on
35. Camouflage the truth
Meaning: To hide the facts.
In a Sentence: He camouflaged the truth to avoid punishment.
Other Ways to Say: Conceal, Cover up
36. Take a stand
Meaning: To defend a position.
In a Sentence: The general took a stand against the enemy.
Other Ways to Say: Resist, Defend
37. Break ranks
Meaning: To not conform or obey.
In a Sentence: One soldier broke ranks and ran away.
Other Ways to Say: Disobey, Rebel
38. Strategic retreat
Meaning: A planned withdrawal.
In a Sentence: The troops made a strategic retreat to regroup.
Other Ways to Say: Tactical pullback, Planned fallback
39. Blow to morale
Meaning: A damaging event to spirit or confidence.
In a Sentence: The defeat was a blow to morale.
Other Ways to Say: Demoralization, Setback
40. Call the shots
Meaning: To be in control.
In a Sentence: The commander called the shots during the battle.
Other Ways to Say: Be the boss, Give orders
41. Under the gun
Meaning: Under pressure.
In a Sentence: The team was under the gun to meet the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Pressured, In a rush
42. Close ranks
Meaning: To unite in support.
In a Sentence: The team closed ranks after criticism.
Other Ways to Say: Unite, Come together
43. Bullet points
Meaning: Key ideas or highlights (from military list format).
In a Sentence: He presented the plan using bullet points.
Other Ways to Say: Main points, Highlights
44. Battle-hardened
Meaning: Experienced in conflict.
In a Sentence: The captain was battle-hardened from years of service.
Other Ways to Say: Tough, Seasoned
45. Caught in the crossfire
Meaning: Hurt unintentionally during conflict.
In a Sentence: Innocent villagers were caught in the crossfire.
Other Ways to Say: Collateral damage, Unintended victims
46. War footing
Meaning: Prepared for conflict.
In a Sentence: The nation was on a war footing after the attack.
Other Ways to Say: Ready for war, Alert
47. War chest
Meaning: Funds reserved for conflict or campaigns.
In a Sentence: The candidate has a large war chest for advertising.
Other Ways to Say: Reserve funds, Campaign money
48. Hit the deck
Meaning: To drop down to avoid danger.
In a Sentence: Everyone hit the deck when shots were fired.
Other Ways to Say: Duck down, Take cover
49. War machine
Meaning: A powerful military force.
In a Sentence: The empire’s war machine was unstoppable.
Other Ways to Say: Armed force, Military strength
50. Lay down arms
Meaning: To stop fighting and surrender.
In a Sentence: The rebels laid down arms and accepted peace.
Other Ways to Say: Disarm, Ceasefire
