cease-fire
cease-fire — noun
1. an official command given by a military leader for soldiers to stop firing their
an official command given by a military leader for soldiers to stop firing their weapons.
The general issued a cease-fire just before dawn, and the soldiers laid down their weapons.
collocation: issue a cease-fire
The commander declared a cease-fire as soon as the enemy troops began to retreat.
collocation: declare a cease-fire
Without a formal cease-fire order from headquarters, the platoon continued to return fire.
João repeated the cease-fire order by radio and waited for the shooting to end.
- stand-down
informal military term for a halt in operations; less widely used
- ceasefire command
a more explicit two-word form that leaves no ambiguity
- attack order
the opposite instruction — to begin or resume fighting
文法句型
issue/declare + a cease-fire
用法筆記
This sense refers specifically to the spoken or written order itself, not the period of peace that follows. Frequently used with verbs like issue, declare, or give.
常見錯誤
2. a temporary agreement between opposing sides to stop fighting, usually so that t
a temporary agreement between opposing sides to stop fighting, usually so that they can hold peace talks or deliver humanitarian aid.
The United Nations helped negotiate a cease-fire between the two warring countries.
collocation: negotiate a cease-fire
Both sides agreed to a 48-hour cease-fire to let aid workers reach trapped civilians.
collocation: 48-hour cease-fire (duration)
The rebels violated the cease-fire by launching an attack on the capital city.
After the fragile cease-fire was signed, families began returning to their village.
Theo said the cease-fire brought only a temporary peace that no one trusted.
- truce
more general term; a truce may be informal or short-lived, while a cease-fire is often more formal
- armistice
formal term for a complete end to fighting, often used for the end of a war, not a temporary pause
- peace agreement
broader and more permanent than a cease-fire
- hostilities
the active fighting that a cease-fire suspends
- war
the state of armed conflict that a cease-fire pauses
文法句型
agree to + a cease-fire
call for + a cease-fire
violate + a cease-fire
用法筆記
By far the most common meaning in news reports. When a cease-fire is agreed, the parties stop shooting for its duration. Frequently modified by a time period (72-hour cease-fire), a descriptor (fragile cease-fire), or a condition (conditional cease-fire).