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war of words

NOUN
cause célèbre
Synonyms
WEAK
bone of contention celebrated case controversy debate grist for the gossip mill hot potato moot point political football scandal
NOUN
cause celebre
Synonyms
STRONGEST
hot potato talk of the town uproar
WEAK
affair controversial case controversial issue controversy debate fuss grist for the gossip mill matter of the moment political football rumor scandal topic of the day

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

A war of words, with acrimonious rival briefings, had taken place between Prince Harry's team and Buckingham Palace over where he would be staying during his visit.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

Relations with the Palace must be at rock bottom after the unedifying war of words over whether he was going to stay at Buckingham Palace.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

Manifold’s response could set the stage for a messy war of words following his ousting on Tuesday.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

The war of words has unnerved people in Iran who do not know what the coming months will bring.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

Each of them hurled insults and barbs in a war of words.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby

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