Synonyms of battles

battles 1 of 2

noun

plural of battle

1

as in fights

a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective

passing the medical licensing exam was an uphill battle, but she succeeded

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fights
• struggles
• efforts
• frays
• throes
• works
• attempts
• pains
• scrabbles
• exertions
• wars
• endeavors
• tries
• toils
• troubles
• grinds
• tussles
• contests
• conflicts
• combats
• travails
• labors
• sweats
• warfares
• drudgeries
• strifes
• essays

2

as in skirmishes

a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

a battle between rival gangs left two people lying dead on the street

Synonyms & Similar Words

• skirmishes
• fights
• clashes
• struggles
• tussles
• brawls
• scuffles
• contests
• conflicts
• dustups
• confrontations
• duels
• combats
• scrimmages
• frays
• altercations
• fracases
• scraps
• quarrels
• scrums
• disputes
• blows
• pitched battles
• hassles
• melees
• fistfights
• slugfests
• fisticuffs
• broils
• jousts
• squabbles
• affrays
• battles royal
• tangles
• controversies
• mix-ups
• donnybrooks
• spats
• rows
• disagreements
• wrangles
• punch-ups
• ruckuses
• punch-outs
• rough-and-tumbles
• tiffs
• ructions
• contretemps
• catfights
• arguments
• grapples
• fallings-out
• misunderstandings
• face-offs
• free-for-alls
• cross fires
• handgrips
• kickups
• argle-bargles
• argy-bargies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truces

3

as in actions

active fighting during the course of a war

soldiers who desperately wanted to forget the horrors that they had witnessed in battle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• actions
• fields
• combats
• fires
• attacks
• hostilities
• firefights
• warfares
• operations
• services
• pitched battles
• duties

4

as in rivalries

an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another

the chess game was a real battle between two of the world's best players

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rivalries
• struggles
• duels
• confrontations
• conflicts
• wars
• competitions
• contentions
• contests
• matches
• warfares
• clashes
• dogfights
• combats
• strifes
• ball games
• sweepstakes
• showdowns
• tugs-of-war
• face-offs
• grapples
• debates
• disputes
• quarrels
• disputations
• collisions
• horse races
• arguments
• controversies
• frictions
• disagreements
• nail-biters
• discords
• wrangles
• rows
• dissensions

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• harmonies
• concords
• peaces

battles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of battle

1

as in competes

to engage in a contest

the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

• competes
• fights
• races
• contends
• rivals
• vies
• faces off
• challenges
• plays
• maneuvers
• engages
• goes out
• jostles
• works
• jockeys
• tries out
• trains

2

as in faces

to enter into contest or conflict with

the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

• faces
• encounters
• meets
• fights
• engages
• takes on
• rivals
• contends
• opposes
• emulates

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• escapes
• eludes
• retreats
• evades

3

as in combats

to oppose (someone) in physical conflict

the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fights
• combats
• wars (against)
• duels
• clashes (with)
• beats
• skirmishes (with)
• hits
• wrestles
• punches
• scrimmages (with)
• strikes
• boxes
• knocks
• socks
• pounds
• slaps
• belts
• jousts
• smacks
• spars
• swipes
• slugs
• slams
• buffets
• hammers
• smites
• bangs
• whales
• swats
• whacks
• thumps
• brawls
• batters
• bashes
• pastes
• slogs
• bats
• tussles
• bumps
• wallops
• grapples
• thwacks
• bops
• bludgeons
• scuffles
• clobbers
• collides

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• submits
• gives up
• surrenders

4

as in opposes

to strive to reduce or eliminate

we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fights
• opposes
• combats
• counters
• contends (with)
• resists
• confronts
• oppugns
• withstands
• thwarts
• foils
• frustrates
• faces
• baffles
• checkmates
• meets
• defies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advances
• encourages
• promotes
• suffers
• fosters
• cultivates
• bears
• furthers
• nourishes
• endures
• advocates
• supports
• forwards
• nurtures
• backs
• abides
• endorses
• upholds
• champions

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of battles

Noun

At the morning roundtable, Alan tells the players that Marathon, Agincourt, and Waterloo were all decisive battles fought early in the day. — Alice Burton, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026

Across the two films, the saga will follow Shivaji Maharaj through his major battles and victories, the sacrifices that came with them and episodes from his life that are less widely known. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026

Lakshmana emerges as a formidable warrior in the battles against Ravana’s forces. — Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Consequently, important battles over the future of Florida’s space industry are fought there. — Max Harden, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026

In one of the final battles before the liberation of Paris, French Resistance forces fought more than a thousand Nazi troops at the Place de la République. — Maurice Samuels, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026

His distributor Bleecker Street behind the scenes has been fighting these battles. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 29 Oct. 2026

Meta has faced a slew of high-stakes legal battles this year as states, school districts and individuals try to use the courts to force tech companies to pay penalties and make changes to their products. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

Use it for dry skin, dry lips, dry cuticles, scars from cabaret battles. — Lindy Segal, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2026

Verb

Nicolas Cage battles the sinkhole that threatened his Malibu home. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Under Paris France, 2024 A female scientist battles a killer shark who turns up in the Seine. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Harald’s death comes as Charles battles an undisclosed type of cancer. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 Sep. 2026

Pitt stars as a former Special Forces officer who battles the elements with his combat dog, named Odin. — Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026

But Xu’s fortunes have turned in four short years as Shein battles tariffs, political scrutiny and growing competition. — Dave Sebastian, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

The team comes up with scenarios in which Emi fights a mech or battles yakuza in the clouds, and the fights defy expectations. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Sierra Canyon battles a JSerra team looking to regain its former luster after finishing 3-7 in 2025. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026

Going overboard is likely when the Scorpio moon battles Jupiter. — Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026