embattled

adjective

em·bat·tled | \ im-ˈba-tᵊld

Definition of embattled

1a : ready to fight : prepared to give battle here once the embattled farmers stood— R. W. Emerson

b : engaged in battle, conflict, or controversy an embattled official accused of extortion

2a : 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

Several congressional Republicans, as well as some governors, conservative groups and pundits, defended the embattled EPA chief. — Brady Dennis, Washington Post, "Scott Pruitt steps down as EPA head after ethics, management scandals," 5 July 2018 Buzz60 As if President Trump's embattled EPA chief didn't have enough on his plate. — William Cummings, USA TODAY, "White House eatery tells EPA chief Scott Pruitt he's there too much, Politico reports," 7 June 2018 President Donald Trump has stood behind his embattled EPA chief, but this is the first time an ethical question surrounding Pruitt has touched on part of the president's business empire. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "EPA chief Scott Pruitt sought used Trump hotel mattress: aide," 4 June 2018 Which is why the embattled parties—whether guilty or unfairly accused—turn to an army of fixers, who help them avoid becoming the day’s headline. — Ben Widdicombe, Town & Country, "How Much Does It Cost to Keep Your Name Out of the News?," 18 Jan. 2019 Whatever caused the explosions near Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at a rally on Saturday, many experts say the embattled leader will use the incident to continue his crackdown on political opponents. — Elizabeth Llorente, Fox News, "Alleged attack on Maduro allows him to crack down harder on opposition, experts say," 6 Aug. 2018 The Monday revelation prompted the secretary of state to demand a new investigation of the embattled agency. — Sophia Bollag, The Seattle Times, "California DMV: Non-citizens may be registered to vote," 8 Oct. 2018 The embattled government didn’t have the time or the money to entertain speculative rocket projects, and the RD-0410 was canceled by 1990. — Avery Thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Might Actually Build a Nuclear-Powered Rocket," 16 Nov. 2018 Russia has been maneuvering in talks at the U.N. this week to shape the future of Syria, influence nonproliferation negotiations with North Korea and bolster Venezuela's embattled president. — Fox News, "Russia seeks to counter US weight as Lavrov takes UN stage," 28 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'embattled.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.