as in makeup
preparations intended to beautify the face
when I was young, I loved to watch Mom put on her war paint before a fancy evening out
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Recent Examples of war paint
My father used to call it war paint.
—
Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 30 Apr. 2021
On stage, drag artist Aphrodite Banks is a femme fatale: Caked in war paint, with a waterfall of braids whipping around her waist, she’s possessed of the white-hot glare and forthright confidence to match her Amazonian height and bearing.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2023
Upon applying war paint-like ash to her face, Teonna fills a pillow case with a literal stack of bibles.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 9 Jan. 2023
The intricate blue-green design that decorates the face resembles New Zealand Maori war paint, which is the root of its alternative name, the Maori Wrasse.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for war paint 
Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 30 Apr. 2021
On stage, drag artist Aphrodite Banks is a femme fatale: Caked in war paint, with a waterfall of braids whipping around her waist, she’s possessed of the white-hot glare and forthright confidence to match her Amazonian height and bearing.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 Feb. 2023
Upon applying war paint-like ash to her face, Teonna fills a pillow case with a literal stack of bibles.
—Matt Cabral, EW.com, 9 Jan. 2023
The intricate blue-green design that decorates the face resembles New Zealand Maori war paint, which is the root of its alternative name, the Maori Wrasse.
—Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for war paint
Thesaurus Entries Near war paint
Cite this Entry
“War paint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/war%20paint. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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