variants
or battle royale
plural battles royal or battle royals or battles royale or battle royales
1
a
: a fight participated in by more than two combatants
especially
: one in which the last fighter in the ring or the last fighter standing is declared the winner
b
: a violent struggle
2
: a heated dispute
Synonyms
Examples of battle royal in a Sentence
the sisters had a battle royal over whose turn it was to use the family car
Recent Examples on the Web
Even the scenes featuring the most brutality — like an epic battle royal at the end and a midway face-off between enthusiastic club member Hazel (Ruby Cruz) and a monstrous high school wrestler — deliver a fresh, even empowered, take on the teen film.
—
Elaina Patton, NBC News, 25 Aug. 2023
But this battle royal has a juicy twist: Oppenheimer is the first film Nolan has made outside of Warner Bros. since Memento way back in 2000.
—Vulture, 14 July 2023
One of those people is Gaby, who confronts Liz in a passive-aggressive battle royal.
—Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2023
Tenney, who has faced backlash multiple times for saying racial slurs during his streams, caught his wave when Epic Games released the battle royal shooting game in 2017.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2023
Tweens, however, are most likely to play battle royal (49%), racing (46%) and survival games (39%); while Millennials gravitate more toward MMO (41%), strategy (27%) and RPG (26%) genres, with games like Elden Ring or World of Warcraft.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 13 Apr. 2023
The director, Chad Stahelski, works these elaborate fights and their flimsy killings with flashy but insignificant embellishments (such as filming an indoor battle royal from overhead, as if by drone).
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2023
With Mandy on the run, heading back to her father’s Wyoming ranch, and Roy Lee in close pursuit, all parties are set to converge in a bloody battle royal for possession of the shirt.
—Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Mar. 2023
Meanwhile, the battle royal of top East Bay leaders for Lee’s seat isn’t materializing.
—Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Feb. 2023
See More
Elaina Patton, NBC News, 25 Aug. 2023
But this battle royal has a juicy twist: Oppenheimer is the first film Nolan has made outside of Warner Bros. since Memento way back in 2000.
—Vulture, 14 July 2023
One of those people is Gaby, who confronts Liz in a passive-aggressive battle royal.
—Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2023
Tenney, who has faced backlash multiple times for saying racial slurs during his streams, caught his wave when Epic Games released the battle royal shooting game in 2017.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2023
Tweens, however, are most likely to play battle royal (49%), racing (46%) and survival games (39%); while Millennials gravitate more toward MMO (41%), strategy (27%) and RPG (26%) genres, with games like Elden Ring or World of Warcraft.
—Jennifer Maas, Variety, 13 Apr. 2023
The director, Chad Stahelski, works these elaborate fights and their flimsy killings with flashy but insignificant embellishments (such as filming an indoor battle royal from overhead, as if by drone).
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2023
With Mandy on the run, heading back to her father’s Wyoming ranch, and Roy Lee in close pursuit, all parties are set to converge in a bloody battle royal for possession of the shirt.
—Justin Lowe, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Mar. 2023
Meanwhile, the battle royal of top East Bay leaders for Lee’s seat isn’t materializing.
—Joe Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'battle royal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
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Dictionary Entries Near battle royal
Cite this Entry
“Battle royal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle%20royal. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on battle royal
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about battle royal
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