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
Back in the day, George Lucas famously used World War II dogfight footage for creating aerial scenes.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
What is clear, however, is that Google’s latest Samsung-busting trade-in deal, and Apple’s brief trade-in promotion, shows that major smartphone manufacturers are in a discount dogfight.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The Battle of Endor and death of Vader As the Imperial Fleet and the Rebellion dogfight in space, and Han, Leia, and Chewie battle Empire forces on the ground, Luke and Vader duel on Death Star II.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
Four days of fighting was marked by an extensive air battle, one of the largest dogfights since World War II, before the two nuclear rivals reached a ceasefire agreement following U.S. diplomatic efforts.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
What is clear, however, is that Google’s latest Samsung-busting trade-in deal, and Apple’s brief trade-in promotion, shows that major smartphone manufacturers are in a discount dogfight.
—Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The Battle of Endor and death of Vader As the Imperial Fleet and the Rebellion dogfight in space, and Han, Leia, and Chewie battle Empire forces on the ground, Luke and Vader duel on Death Star II.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 25 May 2025
Four days of fighting was marked by an extensive air battle, one of the largest dogfights since World War II, before the two nuclear rivals reached a ceasefire agreement following U.S. diplomatic efforts.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogfight. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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