embattled
adjective
em·bat·tled
im-ˈba-tᵊld 
1
a
: ready to fight : prepared to give battle
here once the embattled farmers stood—
R. W. Emerson
R. W. Emerson
b
: engaged in battle, conflict, or controversy
an embattled official accused of extortion
2
a
: being a site of battle, conflict, or controversy
the embattled capital
b
: characterized by conflict or controversy
an embattled presidency
Examples of embattled in a Sentence
the embattled coach of a losing team
Recent Examples on the Web
Maybe now, finally, sunlight will pierce the concealing walls of the embattled and scorned Bureau of Prisons (BOP).
—Joe Davidson, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
The verdict dealt a devastating blow to the embattled former mayor and Trump lawyer, already submerged in legal fees.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2024
Weak and embattled autocrats can limp along far longer than analysts expect.
—Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2022
Presiding over the circus is Paulson in the role of Toni Lafayette, an embattled and embittered matriarch committed to defending her father’s good name.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for embattled 
Joe Davidson, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
The verdict dealt a devastating blow to the embattled former mayor and Trump lawyer, already submerged in legal fees.
—Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 2 Jan. 2024
Weak and embattled autocrats can limp along far longer than analysts expect.
—Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 2 Mar. 2022
Presiding over the circus is Paulson in the role of Toni Lafayette, an embattled and embittered matriarch committed to defending her father’s good name.
—Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for embattled
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'embattled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near embattled
Cite this Entry
“Embattled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/embattled. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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