1
as in fight
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
passing the medical licensing exam was an uphill battle, but she succeeded
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2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a battle between rival gangs left two people lying dead on the street
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in field
active fighting during the course of a war
soldiers who desperately wanted to forget the horrors that they had witnessed in battle
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4
as in rivalry
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the chess game was a real battle between two of the world's best players
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1
2
3
as in to fight
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge
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4
as in to oppose
to strive to reduce or eliminate
we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of battle
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
Rodriguez noted that the law at the center of the battle doesn’t permit her to consider the seriousness of the offense nor the impact on the victims.
—Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Madeline Mitchell, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
To battle terrorists in Nigeria?
—Allison Pecorin, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for battle
Noun
After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov, Judit Polgár revolutionizes the sport’s patriarchal culture to become one of the greatest chess prodigies in history and the greatest woman chess player of all time.
—Verb
Since then, Ross has battled uterine cancer, heart disease and complications from her type 1 diabetes, including sight loss in her right eye.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for battle
Noun
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Davisboro, Georgia Police Chief Leondus Dixon told CBS News a fight broke out among inmates during visitation hours at Washington State Prison in Davisboro.—
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Sheffey is jumping in the fight.—
Noun
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Things then turned violent when someone tried to lunge at Black as marshals walked him out of the courtroom, leading to a skirmish appearing to involve about a dozen people.—
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Other conflict hotspots include India/Pakistan following a deadly skirmish in 2025, Congo/Rwanda, and the ongoing civil war in Sudan.—
Noun
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Coming off two straight nine-win seasons, Dykes has seen enough confirmation on the field that TCU has plenty of talent already inside the building; most of it just needs to continue to develop.—
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Borregales banged home a 35-yard field to give the home team a 6-3 lead heading into halftime.—
Noun
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Small and middle powers, particularly those from the Global South, are stepping into this breach and providing an essential public good that great powers, bound by their own rivalries, increasingly cannot.—
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And there is a friendly rivalry there.—
Verb
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Much of the movie's story revolves around Marty's chaotic efforts to make enough money to travel to Japan and compete in a tournament there.—
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The Associated Press reported that the grim discovery underscores the tactics used by criminal groups competing for control of territory and trafficking routes, especially along the country’s coastline.—
Verb
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Still, the company faces the same existential headwinds that have scared other would-be moguls away from the news business.—
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Chicago is facing a dangerous lake-effect snow event early Monday morning.—
Verb
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Over the course of his administration, major pieces of legislation were passed to combat poverty in the states, including the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, the Food Stamp Act of 1964 and the Social Security Act of 1965.—
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Specifically to combat ice on side walks, steps, etc.—
Verb
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The act of extinction, formalized thousands of miles away during the course of a tense meeting, had involved opposing factions in the company responsible for the destiny of Skinny Pedro and his companions.—
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And if Tommy is opposed to big risks, Cami can’t have him as the president of her company anymore.—
Cite this Entry
“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battle. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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