An agreement to pause or end fighting or hostility, usually for a stated period or purpose.
Reach for it when naming a negotiated stop to conflict without pretending the underlying dispute is resolved
The two neighborhood groups called a truce while an independent survey settled the boundary.
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday |
|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
time-out
Fits when a brief informal pause lets tempers cool
Careful Time-out trivializes serious violence and carries no negotiated commitments.
warm
Fits when the broader absence of conflict or reconciliation is real
Careful Peace is a larger outcome; a truce can leave grievances untouched.
professional
ceasefire
Fits when armed parties formally stop military action
Careful A ceasefire is war-specific and may be more precisely monitored than a truce.
professional
stand-down
Fits when parties stop active operations on instruction or agreement
Careful A stand-down may be unilateral and temporary without mutual terms.
formal
Fits when a formal military agreement suspends hostilities
Careful Armistice is too grand and technical for an everyday disagreement.
literary
detente
Fits when relations relax after sustained political tension
Careful Detente describes reduced tension rather than a specific agreement to stop fighting.
call a truce
The rival clubs agreed to call a truce for the joint fundraiser.
temporary truce
A temporary truce allowed families to leave the damaged district.
uneasy truce
The uneasy truce held while mediators met both sides.
Keep in mind
A truce stops hostile action; it does not by itself create justice, trust, or lasting peace.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated
Your browser isn't saving lists, so this one will be cleared when you leave the page.