de-escalation - (war) a reduction in intensity (of a crisis or a war)

military action, action - a military engagement; "he saw action in Korea"

limited war - a war whose objective is less than the unconditional defeat of the enemy

psychological warfare, war of nerves - the use of psychological tactics to destroy the opponents' morale

battle, engagement, conflict, fight - a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war; "Grant won a decisive victory in the battle of Chickamauga"; "he lost his romantic ideas about war when he got into a real engagement"

civil war - a war between factions in the same country

armed combat, combat - an engagement fought between two military forces

chemical operations, chemical warfare - warfare using chemical agents to kill or injure or incapacitate the enemy

bioattack, biologic attack, biological attack, biological warfare, BW - the use of bacteria or viruses or toxins to destroy men and animals or food

information warfare, IW - the use of information or information technology during a time of crisis or conflict to achieve or promote specific objectives over a specific adversary or adversaries; "not everyone agrees that information warfare is limited to the realm of traditional warfare"

international jihad, jehad, jihad - a holy war waged by Muslims against infidels

world war - a war in which the major nations of the world are involved

aggression - the act of initiating hostilities

Chino-Japanese War, Sino-Japanese War - a war between China and Japan (1894 and 1895) over the control of the Korean Peninsula; China was overwhelmingly defeated at Port Arthur

Macedonian War - one the four wars between Macedonia and Rome in thye 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, which ended in the defeat of Macedonia and its annexation as a Roman province

Six Day War, Six-Day War, Arab-Israeli War - tension between Arabs and Israeli erupted into a brief war in June 1967; Israel emerged as a major power in the Middle East

Arab-Israeli War, Yom Kippur War - Egypt and Syria attacked Israel in October 1973 (on Yom Kippur); Israel counterattacked and drove the Syrians back and crossed the Suez Canal into Egypt

Balkan Wars - two wars (1912-1913) that were fought over the last of the European territories of the Ottoman Empire and that left the area around Constantinople (now Istanbul) as the only Ottoman territory in Europe

Boer War - either of two wars: the first when the Boers fought England in order to regain the independence they had given up to obtain British help against the Zulus (1880-1881); the second when the Orange Free State and Transvaal declared war on Britain (1899-1902)

Crimean War - a war in Crimea between Russia and a group of nations including England and France and Turkey and Sardinia; 1853-1856

Franco-Prussian War - a war between France and Prussia that ended the Second Empire in France and led to the founding of the German empire; 1870-1871

French and Indian War - a war in North America between France and Britain (both aided by indian tribes); 1755-1760

Hundred Years' War - the series of wars fought intermittently between France and England; 1337-1453

Iran-Iraq War, Gulf War - a dispute over control of the waterway between Iraq and Iran broke out into open fighting in 1980 and continued until 1988, when they accepted a UN cease-fire resolution

Korean War - a war between North and South Korea; South Korea was aided by the United States and other members of the United Nations; 1950-1953

Mexican War - after disputes over Texas lands that were settled by Mexicans the United States declared war on Mexico in 1846 and by treaty in 1848 took Texas and California and Arizona and New Mexico and Nevada and Utah and part of Colorado and paid Mexico $15,000,000

Napoleonic Wars - a series of wars fought between France (led by Napoleon Bonaparte) and alliances involving England and Prussia and Russia and Austria at different times; 1799-1815

Peloponnesian War - a war in which Athens and its allies were defeated by the league centered on Sparta; 431-404 BC

Gulf War, Persian Gulf War - a war fought between a coalition led by the United States and Iraq to free Kuwait from Iraqi invaders; 1990-1991

Punic War - one of the three wars between Carthage and Rome that resulted in the destruction of Carthage and its annexation by Rome; 264-241 BC, 218-201 BC, 149-146 BC

war, warfare - the waging of armed conflict against an enemy; "thousands of people were killed in the war"

antagonism, enmity, hostility - a state of deep-seated ill-will

proxy war - a war instigated by a major power that does not itself participate

conflict, struggle, battle - an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); "the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph"--Thomas Paine; "police tried to control the battle between the pro- and anti-abortion mobs"

drug war - conflict between law enforcement and those who deal in illegal drugs

crusade, campaign, cause, drive, effort, movement - a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported populist campaigns"; "they worked in the cause of world peace"; "the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant"; "the movement to end slavery"; "contributed to the war effort"

fight, struggle - be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight; "the tribesmen fought each other"; "Siblings are always fighting"

blitzkrieg - fight a quick and surprising war

go to war, take arms, take up arms - commence hostilities