Fighting in a war and relating to fighting in a war

British used for telling soldiers to go to their positions so that they are ready to fight

a soldier, pilot etc who is on active duty belongs to a military force as their main job

a soldier, pilot etc who is on active service is ready to take part in a battle that is taking place, rather than simply preparing for one

aggressor (noun)

formal a country that starts a war, or someone who starts a fight

air cover (noun)

the planes that do this

battle cry (noun)

a loud shout given by soldiers to frighten the enemy or to encourage their own side

beleaguered (adjective)

mainly literary surrounded by an army and not able to escape

belligerent (noun)

formal one of the countries involved in a war

be on the march ()

to be marching to a new position

blackout (noun)

a period during a war when lights in streets and buildings are turned off so that an enemy cannot see them at night

black out ()

to make a place dark by turning off all the lights, for example so that the enemy cannot see a place at night.

bombed-out (adjective)

forced to leave a place because of being attacked by bombs

break ranks ()

if soldiers or police officers break ranks, they stop standing in lines and move away

capitulate (verb)

formal to stop fighting in a war and accept that you are defeated

casus belli (noun)

formal an event or situation that causes a war

civil defence (noun)

the organization and training of ordinary people to help defend themselves and their country during a war

civil defence (noun)

the preparations that a country makes for an attack by an enemy

close ranks ()

if soldiers close ranks, they stand nearer together in order to defend themselves better against an attack

combat (noun)

relating to fighting in a war

combatant (noun)

formal a person, group, or country that takes part in a war

commandeer (verb)

to officially take someone’s property for military use

detach (verb)

to send a group of soldiers to perform a special job separately from the rest of their group

dig in ()

if soldiers dig in or dig themselves in, they dig trenches where they can wait for an attack

disengage (verb)

formal if an army disengages, it stops fighting in an area

dispatch (noun)

a report that a military officer sends from a battlefield (=a place where a battle is being fought) or a government official sends from a foreign country

enemy (noun)

a country that is fighting another country in a war: can be followed by a singular or plural verb

enemy (noun)

relating to a country’s enemy

engage (verb)

formal to start to fight with an enemy in battle

engage with ()

to start to fight an enemy in battle

ethnic (adjective)

used about fighting between people from different ethnic groups living in the same place

exfiltrate (verb)

to secretly remove soldiers, spies, etc. from a dangerous area

fighting (noun)

a situation in which soldiers or armies use weapons against each other

GHQ (noun)

General Headquarters: the place from which a military operation is controlled

headquarters (noun)

the place from which military action is controlled: can be followed by a singular or plural verb

line (noun)

a row of soldiers, ships, or weapons facing an enemy

loot (noun)

goods or possessions taken from a place that an enemy has gained control of in a war

military (adjective)

relating to armies or armed forces and the way in which they are organized

missing (adjective)

if someone is missing, they cannot be found after a battle or accident but are not known to be dead or taken prisoner

mission creep (noun)

a tendency for military operations in foreign countries to increase gradually and for more and more soldiers to be needed

mobilize (verb)

if an army or large group of police officers mobilize, or if a government mobilizes them, they prepare to do something such as fight a war

mop up ()

to remove any remaining members of an enemy army from an area after a victory

night watch (noun)

the time when a guard stays awake during the night in order to protect a place from attack or danger

outflank (verb)

to get past the side of a group of enemy soldiers and attack them from behind

overwhelm (verb)

to defeat an enemy in a battle

pin down ()

to keep soldiers in a place so that they cannot move

pre-emptive (adjective)

intended to make it impossible or difficult for an enemy to attack

prosecute (verb)

formal to carry out an activity, especially a war

pull back ()

if soldiers pull back, or if someone pulls them back, they move back towards their own land

pull out ()

if soldiers pull out of a place, or if someone pulls them out, they leave

push (verb)

if an army pushes into, through, or across a country or area, it moves further into, through, or across it, using force

regroup (verb)

if soldiers regroup, or if someone regroups them, they form into an organized group again to continue fighting

relief (noun)

military help for an army or place that is being attacked or surrounded

reparations (noun)

money paid by the country that loses a war for the damage and problems that it has caused to other countries

retreat (verb)

if an army retreats, it moves away from a position because of danger or defeat

scorched earth policy (noun)

the destruction by an army or a government of everything that might be useful to enemy forces moving into the area

send (verb)

to put soldiers or military equipment in a place, especially because there is a war

service (noun)

duties performed as a member of the armed forces, especially during a war

shellfire (noun)

attacks by soldiers who are firing shells

skirmish (verb)

to be involved in a skirmish

smokescreen (noun)

a cloud of smoke created to hide the movements of soldiers or military vehicles

support (noun)

help or protection that is given by one group of soldiers to another group who are fighting in a battle

tactics (noun)

the skill of effectively organizing and using soldiers, weapons, and equipment in battles

wage (verb)

to start and to continue a war or a fight

war cry (noun)

a loud shout made by soldiers before or during a battle to frighten the enemy or to encourage their own side

warfighting (noun)

fighting between the armed forces of countries that are at war

warlike (adjective)

people or countries that are warlike tend to start wars

war paint (noun)

paint that some people, for example Native Americans, traditionally put on their face and body when they went into battle

wartime (noun)

the period when a war is taking place

win (verb)

to achieve victory in a war, battle, or argument

withdraw (verb)

if an army withdraws or is withdrawn from a place, it leaves

Synonyms and antonyms of Fighting in a war and relating to fighting in a war in British Thesaurus