Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Warfare marked by a lack of aggression or progress.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun warfare without progress, a stalemate

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Coined on the model of blitzkrieg : German Sitz, act of sitting; see sitz bath + German Krieg, war; see blitzkrieg.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

German Sitzkrieg

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Examples

  • And, once war finally came, they urged the Government to rearm fully and quickly, and take strong action offensively, instead of doing little or nothing during the early period of “phony war” (the sitzkrieg).

    Re: The Other Lesson Of Munich. 2008

  • But most striking was the fact that World War II began with a bang (the German invasion of Poland) followed by eight months of inaction-the sitzkrieg or "sitting war" - before the Battle of France.

    Technology Liberation Front 2009

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