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

As Gray, the psychologist, has long argued, many of our culture-war battles can be read as fights over who counts as the real victim. — Paul Bloom, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026

Many death penalty cases also involve lengthy legal battles, keeping people on death row for years and sometimes decades. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 6 Nov. 2026

Children should be able to enjoy their childhood without feeling compelled to participate in the political battles of the adults in their lives. — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 5 Nov. 2026

Uthmeier's tenure has included high-profile legal battles over immigration and other issues. — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

The film, however, ran into big problems with Italian censors in what became the first of many battles Brass faced with censorship for various reasons. — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 4 Nov. 2026

Meanwhile, his Justice Department continued court battles to prove the untrue conspiracy of widespread voter fraud, though for the most part judges have shot down one government case after another. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

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

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

Verb

Brown, who battles sickle cell, says writing is her way of putting her thoughts out into the world. — Monique John, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

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