battles 1 of 2

noun

Definition of battlesnext
plural of battle
1
as in fights
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective passing the medical licensing exam was an uphill battle, but she succeeded

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in skirmishes
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 actions
active fighting during the course of a war soldiers who desperately wanted to forget the horrors that they had witnessed in battle

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the chess game was a real battle between two of the world's best players

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

battles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of battle
1
as in competes
to engage in a contest the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in faces
to enter into contest or conflict with the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in combats
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in opposes
to strive to reduce or eliminate we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for battles
  1. actions
  2. rivalries
  3. competes
  4. faces
  5. opposes
  6. efforts
  7. confrontations
  8. contends
Noun
  • Former progressive allies, some with wise, old heads, either stood up against Johnson’s actions or looked away and let their silence and disappointment speak for them.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The plaintiffs seek damages, restitution, and penalties, arguing that the defendants' actions resulted in fraud and unjust enrichment.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of actions
Noun
  • Sports organizations have often implemented this approach successfully, adjusting game ticket costs based on factors like rivalries or high-demand matchups.
    Jana Arbanas, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • Basically the rare intersectional or out-of-conference matchup, the in-conference matchups defined by local rivalries, and the bowls associated with all of the latter made college football highly lucrative, only for the powers-that-be to trample on all three traditions.
    John Tamny, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of rivalries
Verb
  • Research from the Princeton Neuroscience Institute found that physical clutter competes for your attention, reducing focus and increasing stress.
    Maha Abouelenein, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
  • The company competes with BitChute, Odysee, and YouTube, among other video-sharing platforms.
    Trefis Team, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of competes
Verb
  • Mangione, who faces federal charges of murder and stalking, as well as New York State charges, including murder in furtherance of terrorism, will face a jury next year, although a trial date has not yet been set.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Spanning continents and cultures, these structures were often created for spiritual devotion, community living, or protection; look no further than the designs of these very cliff faces to see the bedrock beliefs of the civilizations that shaped them.
    Maya Chawla, Architectural Digest, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of faces
Verb
  • Amazon fiercely opposes union organizing efforts, and uses tactics like delaying elections or having employees attend captive-audience meetings.
    Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
  • But even though about three dozen of the Democrats are on Burrows' list of supporters, a solid bloc of the minority party caucus opposes his candidacy.
    John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of opposes
Noun
  • Some have also emphasized their efforts to reduce out-of-pocket insulin costs for patients.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
  • While security measures at hospitals have increased following the shooting, experts warn that these efforts may be temporary unless significant changes are made.
    Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024
Definition of efforts
Noun
  • Joshi's July 2023 exchange represented one of the climate confrontations, but other disruptions garnered traction as well.
    Alex J. Rouhandeh, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
  • The rapid pace of events and the depletion of Tehran’s military and political resources over the past year, amid escalating direct and indirect military confrontations with Israel, have left the leadership struggling to formulate a coherent response.
    Hamidreza Azizi, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
Definition of confrontations
Verb
  • The complaint contends that Schultz and So violated securities laws, and even indicated their efforts to skirt those laws on the Spaces call.
    Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 20 Dec. 2024
  • Amazon contends that the workers are not employees.
    Julia Shapero, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2024
Definition of contends
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near battles

battlers

battles

battles royal

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Battles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battles. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on battles

Nglish: Translation of battles for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of battles for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...