fought
ˈfȯt 
; fighting
; fighting
1
a
: to contend in battle or physical combat
especially
: to strive to overcome a person by blows or weapons
The soldiers fought bravely.
b
: to engage in boxing
He will fight for the heavyweight title next month.
2
: to put forth a determined effort
They were fighting to stay awake.
1
a(1)
: to contend against in or as if in battle or physical combat
fought the invaders of his homeland
was fighting a forest fire
(2)
: to box against in the ring
fought several strong contenders
b(1)
: to attempt to prevent the success or effectiveness of
the company fought the takeover attempt
(2)
: to oppose the passage or development of
fight a bill in Congress
3
: to struggle to endure or surmount
fight a cold
is fighting cancer
4
a
: to gain by struggle
fights his way through
b
: to resolve by struggle
fought out their differences in court
5
a
: to manage (a ship) in a battle or storm
b
: to cause to struggle or contend
c
: to manage in an unnecessarily rough or awkward manner
Examples of fight in a Sentence
Verb
When he was young he was always fighting.
He fought like a tiger.
The U.S. and Germany fought in World Wars I and II.
They vowed to fight the invaders of their homeland.
The U.S. fought Germany in World Wars I and II.
He and his wife are always fighting over money.
We were fighting to protect our jobs.
Noun
A fight broke out in the bar.
When he was young he was always getting into fights.
He got into another fight with his wife about money.
a fight for the heavyweight title
Recent Examples on the Web
Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
Garry snapped Prates’ win streak and that of the dominant Fighting Nerds fight camp with a masterful game plan and nearly impeccable execution.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The health care fight — over a discount drug program — will play out in the House’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight
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show current usage.
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Verb
In the final season of the Emmy-winning drama series, June will fight to take down Gilead with Luke and Moira joining the resistance, per Hulu.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
Garry snapped Prates’ win streak and that of the dominant Fighting Nerds fight camp with a masterful game plan and nearly impeccable execution.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
Create a powerful statement that positions me against this enemy and explains why this fight matters to my audience.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025
The health care fight — over a discount drug program — will play out in the House’s Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.
—Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight
Cite this Entry
“Fight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fight
1 of 2 verb
fought
ˈfȯt
; fighting
; fighting
1
a
: to struggle against another in battle or physical combat
2
: to try hard
fighting to stay awake
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