as in battling
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Dissimilar Words
as in combat
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in combating
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
a proud people who have fiercely fought all invaders of their homeland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposing
to strive to reduce or eliminate
a civil rights leader who dedicated his life to fighting prejudice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in competing
to engage in a contest
everyone on that street seems to be fighting to see who can create the gaudiest holiday lighting display
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
if you kids continue to fight, I'm turning this car around and we're heading back home!
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in resisting
to refuse to give in to
I tried to fight the temptation to eat another cookie—and lost
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fighting
ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
But this story isn’t just for pro-fighting fans.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
Some had joined Ukrainian combat units as volunteers, while others have sought to assist the Ukrainian people in non-fighting capacities.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
But the computer model couldn’t distinguish fighting roosters from non-fighting roosters.
—Jeff Horwitz, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2021
Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
The authors of the paper looked not just at the number of incidents, but also the severity—how many battles were waged in ongoing fighting, for example.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 15 May 2026
The fighting is an increasing drag on the global economy, driving up fuel prices and inflation to levels not seen in years.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 15 May 2026
The fighting is so fierce that Google even funded a city’s lawsuit against a local newspaper that tried to obtain water-usage figures through a public records request, arguing the data was a trade secret.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The actors did much of the fighting themselves, while Urban’s stunt double, Garreth Hadfield, performed other aspects, training for months on wires to perfect the twirl in the air, followed by the trademark split nut-punch.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Precious little time to perform the squad rebuild for Phil Parkinson’s side to have had a fighting chance of surviving among the elite, never mind the necessary upgrade to bring their historic home up to speed.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
But the intense fighting continued.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The distributors who keep quietly burying movies that deserved a fighting chance.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Moscow's troops have been fighting in Ukraine for well over four years - longer than the Soviet involvement, from 1941-45, in what Russians refer to as the Great Patriotic War.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA Today, 9 May 2026
The first awareness of these viruses dates back to the 1950s, with disease in soldiers fighting in the Korean War.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
While the males are fighting, the female sneaks off to get some quick action behind enemy lines.
—Big Think, 8 May 2026
Jay, who describes herself as a constitutional conservative, said her clients are united with the surrogate and her husband in fighting against the attorney general’s case.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
After two school years of inaccurate vaccination data reporting to state agencies, Zion Elementary School District 6 has managed a remarkable turnaround, but is still fighting vaccine hesitancy among some district parents.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
The flip side • Bravo to Rachel in east Orange County/Chuluota for fighting against developers who want to turn beautiful cattle pastureland into 1,800 homes.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
These massive corporations are raising premiums, canceling coverage and fighting our claims every step of the way.
—Jane Kim, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Adjective
Speaking ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Johnson told the BBC that the troops should be sent to peaceful regions in non-fighting roles.
—ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
But this story isn’t just for pro-fighting fans.
—Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Oct. 2025
Some had joined Ukrainian combat units as volunteers, while others have sought to assist the Ukrainian people in non-fighting capacities.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
But the computer model couldn’t distinguish fighting roosters from non-fighting roosters.
—Jeff Horwitz, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2021
Noun
Fuel and fertilizer needed for the rice crop are just the latest necessities to become unaffordable in Rakhine state, which has been devastated by intense fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), one of the many rebel groups in the country.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
The authors of the paper looked not just at the number of incidents, but also the severity—how many battles were waged in ongoing fighting, for example.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 15 May 2026
The fighting is an increasing drag on the global economy, driving up fuel prices and inflation to levels not seen in years.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 15 May 2026
The fighting is so fierce that Google even funded a city’s lawsuit against a local newspaper that tried to obtain water-usage figures through a public records request, arguing the data was a trade secret.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 14 May 2026
The actors did much of the fighting themselves, while Urban’s stunt double, Garreth Hadfield, performed other aspects, training for months on wires to perfect the twirl in the air, followed by the trademark split nut-punch.
—Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Precious little time to perform the squad rebuild for Phil Parkinson’s side to have had a fighting chance of surviving among the elite, never mind the necessary upgrade to bring their historic home up to speed.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 14 May 2026
But the intense fighting continued.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 May 2026
The distributors who keep quietly burying movies that deserved a fighting chance.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Verb
After fighting valiantly to ward off injury, the horse was euthanized in 2007, his courageous battle forever remembered at Churchill Downs, where his statue stands outside of Gate 1.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Moscow's troops have been fighting in Ukraine for well over four years - longer than the Soviet involvement, from 1941-45, in what Russians refer to as the Great Patriotic War.
—Guy Faulconbridge, USA Today, 9 May 2026
The first awareness of these viruses dates back to the 1950s, with disease in soldiers fighting in the Korean War.
—ArsTechnica, 8 May 2026
While the males are fighting, the female sneaks off to get some quick action behind enemy lines.
—Big Think, 8 May 2026
Jay, who describes herself as a constitutional conservative, said her clients are united with the surrogate and her husband in fighting against the attorney general’s case.
—Romy Ellenbogen, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
After two school years of inaccurate vaccination data reporting to state agencies, Zion Elementary School District 6 has managed a remarkable turnaround, but is still fighting vaccine hesitancy among some district parents.
—Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
The flip side • Bravo to Rachel in east Orange County/Chuluota for fighting against developers who want to turn beautiful cattle pastureland into 1,800 homes.
—Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
These massive corporations are raising premiums, canceling coverage and fighting our claims every step of the way.
—Jane Kim, Oc Register, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fighting
Noun
-
But the weapon must be won in combat, and Din unintentionally wins it after beating Gideon in a fight.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
This nerve-rattling sequence that leaves three of the Khachaturian men dead is a wrenching depiction of innocent casualties brought down by split-second combat decisions.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Video from the scene shows firefighters battling large flames and heavy smoke.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
9 May 2026
-
Grant and Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells have hit homers at a blistering pace and are battling to close the season with the NCAA home run title.—
Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
When an opposing superstar is cooking, which can happen in the playoffs, their firepower becomes an issue.—
Hunter Patterson,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
-
Ashlee Casey with the Sacramento Water Forum said that opposing groups including environmentalists, developers, farmers and cities have all reached an agreement on how to best use water that's released from Folsom Dam and flows down the American River.—
James Taylor,
CBS News,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Teams are at the center of the action when competing against another, complete with the celebrations and disappointments that are the hallmarks of any game show.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
-
The competing offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo should answer that question.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The two get to bickering about her terrible track record, with Dennis hilariously failing to realize that this accusation includes him among the questionable men.—
Ile-Ife Okantah,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
For those of us interested in governing and not bickering, this is a good thing.—
Gail Slater,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
She was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, tampering with evidence and being in a park after hours.—
Steven Yablonski,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
-
The arrests were on various charges, including affray, possession of narcotics, resisting without violence and unlawful possession of a weapon, according to the Tampa Police Department.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
At a certain point, the distinction between celebrity nonsense and geopolitical information warfare breaks down.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
-
The platform can incorporate a range of payloads (including third party modules) enabling mission versatility across Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare, decoy and strike roles.—
Aditya Jadhav,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, central banks must find a balance between boosting growth and combating inflation, while uneven monetary policy among countries could trigger greater regional inequality.—
Stephanie Yang,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
-
This activity included combating Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China, and supporters of Taiwanese independence.—
Times staff,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fighting. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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