1
: a fight between dogs
broadly
: a fiercely disputed contest
2
: a fight between two or more fighter planes usually at close quarters
dogfight
intransitive verb
Examples of dogfight in a Sentence
He was shot down in a dogfight over enemy territory.
The election has turned into a real dogfight.
Recent Examples on the Web
These make the aircraft less visible to ground radar and heat sensors, though there has been criticism this will cause problems at high angles of attack in dogfights.
—
David Szondy
april 21, New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2026
This was just a great dogfight.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
The real American objective, if war comes, would not be some glorious dogfight over mainland China.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
The Huskies — fighting for a second straight national title — were in a total dogfight with Illinois.
—From Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
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David Szondy
april 21, New Atlas, 21 Apr. 2026
This was just a great dogfight.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
The real American objective, if war comes, would not be some glorious dogfight over mainland China.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
The Huskies — fighting for a second straight national title — were in a total dogfight with Illinois.
—From Staff Reports, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogfight. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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