# war of words

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/war-of-words
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A heated exchange of threatening or inflammatory statements.

## Examples

- The two neighbors are having a war of words over the fence.
- The election campaign turned into a bitter war of words between the two candidates as they attacked each other's policies.
- What began as a minor disagreement regarding the contract quickly escalated into a prolonged war of words that damaged the professional relationship between the two firms.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.