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
Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 26 June 2025
Reggie Greer, who served as a senior advisor on LGBTQI+ Persons at the State Department in the Biden administration, remembers being in North Carolina during the 2016 bathroom bill fight.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Then, in 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts do not have a role to play in deciding legal fights over partisan gerrymandering, when state's voting lines are drawn to entrench the political party in power.
—June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
As most skin care buffs know, hyaluronic acid is a holy grail humectant used in skin care and makeup to retain moisture, retain elasticity, and fight aging.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 26 June 2025
Reggie Greer, who served as a senior advisor on LGBTQI+ Persons at the State Department in the Biden administration, remembers being in North Carolina during the 2016 bathroom bill fight.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
Noun
The result of that fight was Paul's first and only pro loss, dropping a split decision to Fury.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Then, in 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that federal courts do not have a role to play in deciding legal fights over partisan gerrymandering, when state's voting lines are drawn to entrench the political party in power.
—June 27, CBS News, 27 June 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 4 Jul. 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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