declare war
Verb

declare war

  1. (of a governmental authority) To make a formal pronouncement, or sign a legal document, that initiates a state of war between one nation and another, usually before hostilities begin.
  2. To announce one's intention to fiercely combat or eradicate something.
    The governor declared war on poverty.
    • 2011, Henry Hampton, ‎Steve Fayer, Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement:
      Leo Lillard, a Nashville native attending Tennessee State University, had become involved in the sit-ins as soon as they started. It was no longer just the students, it was clear that the town had declared war on racism.
Translations
  • French: déclarer la guerre
  • German: den Krieg erklären
  • Portuguese: declarar guerra
  • Spanish: declarar la guerra



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