collocations.org

Collocations for war - noun

ADJECTIVE

long, short
impending, ongoing
bloody
all-out, full-scale, total
Six years of total war had left no citizen untouched.
limited
pre-emptive, preventative (AmE)
holy, just, religious
dirty
civil, global, world
air, guerrilla
atomic, nuclear
conventional
cold
economic, trade
drug (esp. AmE)
bidding, price
class, culture (esp. AmE)
turf
phoney (BrE)

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VERB + war

be in, fight in
My grandfather fought in the Korean War.
fight, make, wage
The two countries fought a short but bloody war.
The Spartans were persuaded to make war on Athens.
The terrorists were charged with waging war against the state.
win
lose
declare
enter
The United States entered the war in 1917.
launch, start
They launched a trade war against France.
spark
He fears the violence could spark a civil war.
go to
The country went to war in 1939.
end
avert, prevent
be devastated by, be ravaged by
be killed in

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war + VERB

approach, loom, threaten
begin, break out, come, erupt, start
escalate, spread
talks to prevent the war from escalating
continue, drag on, go on, last, progress, rage, rage on
The war raged for nearly two years.
come to an end, end

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war + NOUN

years
the shortage of food during the war years
hero, veteran
chief, leader
casualties, victims
damage
correspondent
the war correspondent of a daily newspaper
coverage
critiques of the mainstream media's war coverage
artist, poet (both esp. BrE)
zone
effort
Every available resource went towards/toward the war effort.
record
Both candidates have distinguished war records.
wound
crime, criminal
cemetery, graves, memorial
plan
aims
game
chest
The government has a $20-billion war chest to fight terrorism.
reparations
bride, widow
booty
cry, dance
machine
the Soviet war machine

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PREPOSITION

at war
a country at war
between the wars (= between the First and Second World Wars), in (a/the) war
killed in war
He took part in the Vietnam War.
war against, war with
the war against the French
a war against drug abuse
war between
war between Iran and Iraq
war for
the Greek war for independence
war of
a war of liberation
war on
The US declared war on Japan.
war with
a trade war with the United States

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PHRASES

the aftermath of the war
Unexploded mines were a big danger to civilians in the aftermath of the war.
the brink of war
The crisis took Europe to the brink of war.
the course of a/the war
He was wounded twice during the course of the war.
a declaration of war
Congress has made a formal declaration of war.
the horrors of war
The country had just emerged from the horrors of civil war.
in a state of war
The country was now in a state of war.
in time of war, in times of war
In times of war, troops were billeted in the mill.
on a war footing
The army had been placed on a war footing.
the outbreak of war
At the outbreak of war, most children were evacuated to the countryside.
the outcome of a/the war
The outcome of the war was far from certain.
a prisoner of war
He was held as a prisoner of war.
a theatre/theater of war
The country has long been a theatre/theater of war.
a war of attrition

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