battled

verb

past tense of battle
1
as in competed
to engage in a contest the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship

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2
as in faced
to enter into contest or conflict with the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fought
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in opposed
to strive to reduce or eliminate we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of battled Some suburbs battled soil erosion, which ruined rivers and contaminated drinking water. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Fan frustration builds FSU lost to SMU by a field goal and battled at Alabama before suffering a 14-point loss, difficult defeats despite coming against top 25 teams. — Bob Ferrante, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2026 Sharman battled Carson Conklin for the starting role in spring and fall camp as the quarterbacks became close friends. — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026 Nearly six months ago, as lawmakers battled over ICE funding in the wake of two high-profile killings of American citizens in Minneapolis, Marshall touted the federal agency’s operations. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 24 Sep. 2026 That absence wasn’t a coincidence — after starring in The Lost City (2022) alongside Channing Tatum, Bullock stepped back during a particularly difficult time in her life, as her partner, Bryan Randall, privately battled ALS. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2026 Ordinary people can make change Growing up, Steinem was a caregiver for her mother, who battled mental illness and addiction. — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2026 Our defense in that first half battled their (butts) off, gave us a chance, trying to get stuff going. — CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 Van and Pantoja battled each other in December, with Pantoja losing the belt. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battled
  1. competed
  2. faced
  3. fought
  4. opposed
  5. contended
  6. encountered
  7. combated
  8. raced
Verb
  • For the longest time, artificial intelligence companies competed to make each new model faster and smarter.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Venice selection Al Baraneya by Ashgan El-Hamus and Lê Bảo’s Hearing which competed at the Locarno Film Festival have also won the fund’s support.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of competed
Verb
  • The seven Chi Phi members in question were suspended, expelled, or faced other consequences, such as writing an essay, but most were allowed to continue their education at the university following a monthslong Title IX investigation.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Marshall’s campaign has faced headwinds in recent weeks amid scrutiny over his medical debt collection practices as a physician in Great Bend.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of faced
Verb
  • The British civil wars were, in part, fought because people wanted to create their own religious paths, but unfortunately that freedom did not generally lead to a kinder Christianity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The two nations fought Russia, Britain and the United States in World War II.
    — Edith M. Lederer, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of fought
Verb
  • The bill was opposed by business and technology trade groups along with major medical organizations, including the California Hospital Association, which argued the measure would get in the way of AI use that supports therapists.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The 5,670 figure appears to refer to the open letter organized by the Block the Merger coalition, signed by thousands of film and TV professionals opposed to the deal.
    — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of opposed
Verb
  • Blacknell contended that four different medical professionals treated Linton after the crash and none of them concluded the wreck was tied to a bipolar episode.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The business contended that the statute was vague and said that handwashing would qualify as a medical action under the act, according to the judge’s order.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of contended
Verb
  • Robotics engineers can select, adapt, and recombine individual biological mechanisms to address specific technical challenges that evolutionary pressures never encountered.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In addition to reconsidering the role of drawing within her broader practice, the show aims to open Hesse’s work to viewers who may not have encountered the full breadth of her output, according to Tattersall.
    — Gabriella Angeleti, ARTnews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of encountered
Verb
  • High winds and hilly terrain complicated efforts by firefighters, who combated the blazes with firetrucks and bulldozers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • High winds and hilly terrain complicated efforts by firefighters, who combated the blazes with fire trucks and bulldozers.
    — Caroline Blumberg, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Definition of combated
Verb
  • Those gains came even as Treasury yields raced to highs not seen in years, with traders increasing bets of more Federal Reserve rate hikes due to persistent inflation.
    — Jenni Reid,Justina Lee,Fred Imbert, CNBC, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Ben Grice took a first-down handoff and raced 88 yards for a touchdown and the Owls (1-3) led 7-0 after one quarter.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of raced

Browse Nearby Words

battle cry
battled
battlefield
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Cite this Entry

“Battled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battled. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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