BATTLES Synonyms: 218 Similar and Opposite Words

battles 1 of 2

noun

plural of battle

as in fights

a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective passing the medical licensing exam was an uphill battle, but she succeeded

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Relevance

as in skirmishes

a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups a battle between rival gangs left two people lying dead on the street

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truces

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

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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

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battles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of battle

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

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as in faces

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

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as in combats

to oppose (someone) in physical conflict the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge

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as in opposes

to strive to reduce or eliminate we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist

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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 battles

Noun

The Alabama case is part of a broader national wave of redistricting battles. —

Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 12 May 2026 In the legal battles that will follow, artificial intelligence may prove to be the sharpest tool in the courtroom. —

Philip Wang, Time, 11 May 2026 The settlements come after years of fierce and expensive court battles, which highlighted the difficulties in interpreting a legal provision that was first enacted several years after it was written into law. —

Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 11 May 2026 That’s on puck battles, that’s on wall battles, that’s on you look at net-front battles. —

Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 11 May 2026 Defense planners increasingly view such systems as critical because modern naval battles may involve large numbers of incoming missiles and unmanned systems launched simultaneously. —

Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 11 May 2026 Parity is one of your major battles. —

Norine Raja, Vanity Fair, 11 May 2026 That means the knock-down, drag-out government shutdown battles that have become a Washington ritual are, in effect, a fight over a little more than a quarter of the federal ledger. —

Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026 Marr's legal battles with State Farm started in 1999, when Marr says the insurer denied a claim that a friend filed for tornado damage. —

Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026

Verb

Despite being projected to be the first overall pick, Mendoza skipped the in-person draft in Pittsburgh to stay in Florida with his mother, who battles multiple sclerosis (MS) and is bound to a wheelchair. —

Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026 As Halsey battles addiction and Luke confronts his own darkness, their growing feelings force them to question if love is worth the risk. —

Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Apr. 2026 The three-match tournament ends with rivalry matchups next Friday in Chicago, when USA faces Canada and Australia battles New Zealand. —

Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2026 Yet, the country battles high levels of poverty and hunger among its citizens. —

ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026 Barred from his high school basketball team due to his temper, a hot-head, street-baller battles demons from his past and present to earn a spot on a summer league team and his last shot at a college basketball scholarship. —

Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026 Beth, who is voiced by Sarah Chalke, asks dad Rick (Ian Cardoni) in the footage as the family battles a beast comprised of couch cushions. —

Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026 Despite its decades-long transformation into a thriving hub for robotics, health care and higher education, Pittsburgh continually battles to shake off its 20th-century Rust Belt reputation in the national consciousness. —

Tim Derdenger, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2026 The series ran from 1993 to 2001 and followed Ranger Cordell Walker, a Texas lawman who battles crime with a black belt and strong personal code. —

Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for battles

Noun

Two title fights, multiple division-shifting wins, a record extended for Miller, an arrival statement from Amosov, and a main event that traded weeks of bad blood for legitimate mid-fight respect.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Spread by social media flyers or mass messages beforehand, the takeovers have on occasion spiraled into chaos, with reports of fights, robberies, gunshots and general disruption.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 May 2026