A phoney war is when two opposing groups are openly hostile towards each other, as if they wereat war, but there is no real fighting.
[British]
There is a chance that the phoney war of the past three months will turn into realfighting.
phoney war in British English
(ˈfəʊnɪ wɔː) or phony war
noun
1. British
a conflict when two opposing groups are openly hostile towards each other or are in competition with each other, as if they were at war, but there is no real fighting
There is a chance that the phoney war of the past three months will turn into realfighting.
It was a phoney war.
2. the phoney war
Examples of 'phoney war' in a sentence
phoney war
And the pity is that no side will win this phoney war.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In a period of political phoney war, he is ahead in the polls.