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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to oppose
to strive to reduce or eliminate
we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of battle
Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Camp time culminates in a team competition, where groups face off in a head-to-head series of tug-of-war battles, relays and other physical challenges — all in a quest for ultimate bragging rights.
—Robin Roenker, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
While supporting a partner battling a chronic illness is not easy, there is joy.
—Christina Frazier, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for battle
Noun
In the time since the movie premiered last year, Peet saw both her parents go through hospice care before dying and had her own battle with breast cancer.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
Camp time culminates in a team competition, where groups face off in a head-to-head series of tug-of-war battles, relays and other physical challenges — all in a quest for ultimate bragging rights.
—Robin Roenker, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
After Alvarado got a fly out to right, Baldwin stepped in and battled for 10 pitches before crushing a two-run double into the gap in right.
—Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 1 Apr. 2026
While supporting a partner battling a chronic illness is not easy, there is joy.
—Christina Frazier, Health, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for battle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battle
Noun
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Internally, Mead Johnson conceded it had been beaten in the fight over fortifiers.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The risk When Manfred took over as MLB commissioner 11 years ago, baseball had long been surpassed by football as the country’s most popular sport and was in an existential fight to stay relevant to younger fans.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And the Pakistani military has been engaged in cross-border skirmishes with the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan for months.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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With billions of dollars at stake, the conflicts manifest in sharp skirmishes in the Legislature, in courts and in the ballot measure arena.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ridden Saturday for the first time by jockey Flavien Prat, Commandment dropped back to last in the field of six midway through the 1 1/8-mile stakes, content to allow the others to contest the pace.—
Clark Spencer,
Miami Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Through adoptions, education, outreach, and field services, the shelter provides critical support to promote responsible pet care in the community.—
Janay Reece,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Their rivalry reached its peak in 2018, when the two engaged in an on-court brawl during a matchup between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Their relationship starts as pure rivalry, shifts into a friends-with-benefits arrangement and eventually evolves into a full romantic relationship across the six-episode first season.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the market for preterm nutrition, Abbott and Mead Johnson compete with each other, not against the use of human milk, the companies told KFF Health News.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Any organization with 50 or more employees in the state is eligible to compete for a Top Workplaces award.—
Bob Helbig,
Freep.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Administration’s treatment of immigration officers as a vulnerable group rests on claims that agents now face unprecedented threats.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This time, however, travelers are already facing long lines and delays due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has left thousands of TSA workers without pay.—
De'Anthony Taylor,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
California attorney general's action to combat hospice fraud State Attorney General Rob Bonta says his office has brought criminal fraud cases against more than 100 defendants in the hospice industry and has filed about two dozen civil cases.—
Adam Yamaguchi,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Oz, who earlier this year was criticized after posting a video accusing Armenian crime groups of carrying out widespread fraud, continued Thursday to accuse California and Los Angeles officials of not doing enough to combat fraud.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Luscious Venus in your 5th House of Originality squares Pluto in your 2nd House of Resources, so projects and budgets will potentially tug your soul in opposing directions.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Polling released March 19 shows nearly two-thirds of Americans believe Trump will deploy troops into Iran, even though more than half of them opposed the move.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battle. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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