truce

1 of 2

noun

1
: a suspension of fighting especially of considerable duration by agreement of opposing forces : armistice, ceasefire
2
: a respite especially from a disagreeable or painful state or action

truce

2 of 2

verb

truced; trucing

intransitive verb

: to make a truce

transitive verb

: to end with a truce

Examples of truce in a Sentence

Noun There's been an uneasy truce between her and her parents for the past several months. both sides agreed to a 24-hour truce beginning at midnight on Christmas Eve
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The last trade truce with China, from a month ago in Geneva, fell apart after just a couple of weeks when Trump lashed out at Beijing and accused officials of not holding up their end of the bargain. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 12 June 2025 Tariffs from China are still at a historically high rate of 30%, coming down at least temporarily from Trump’s prior announcement of 145% after the two countries reached a 90-day truce on May 12. Annie Palmer, CNBC, 11 June 2025 For example, the administration announced a temporary trade truce — again — with China following talks in London. Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 11 June 2025 The discussions centered on resolving frictions surrounding critical mineral and technology exports, which had threatened to unravel a fragile truce brokered in Geneva last month. Barney Henderson, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for truce

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English trewes, plural of trewe agreement, from Old English trēow fidelity; akin to Old English trēowe faithful — more at true entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of truce was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Truce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truce. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

truce

noun
ˈtrüs
1
: a temporary stopping of fighting (as in a war)
2
: a short rest especially from something unpleasant

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