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battling 1 of 2

adjective

as in fighting

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battling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of battle
1
as in competing
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
2
as in facing
to enter into contest or conflict with the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in opposing
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 battling
Verb
At Oregon, Sadiq was productive last year (560 yards, eight touchdowns) but was battling injuries and was rarely at full strength even while playing most of the Ducks’ snaps. — Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 On the other side, the Rangers are battling the Astros to grab the American League West. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026 When tragedy strikes and Chaz is suddenly diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor, Joy is faced with battling doctors, tackling bills, and being forced to join forces with her ex, Royce (Whitfield), to navigate their new norm. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026 Spain was dealt a shock defeat by Mali in its second game but beat Japan to top the group, then defeated Australia in the quarterfinals before a battling 76-66 loss to the United States in their semifinal. — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026 In other places such as Libya and Somalia, Washington supported the national armies and local militias battling jihadi forces and engaged in whack-a-mole with jihadi leaders. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026 The ministry said firefighters were battling the fires Tuesday morning. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 This issue lingered late into the week, including the surreal spectacle of the SEC battling LSU in multiple courtrooms. — CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 Christopher was privately battling cancer before his death, his daughter Nixi announced. — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battling
  1. fighting
  2. competing
  3. facing
  4. combating
  5. opposing
  6. contending
  7. encountering
  8. meeting
Adjective
  • After having two children and settling into post-fighting life on her farm in Riverside, Rousey seriously began to consider an MMA return last year.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 17 May 2026
  • 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, ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026
Definition of fighting
Verb
  • Espino told the assembly’s budget committee that fewer than 10 percent of the canal’s daily transits are auctioned, meaning most ships are not competing in an auction for passage.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • For Denver metro area buyers, that leaves the decision to purchase in a market where borrowing costs, home prices, and the overall cost of living are all competing factors.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of competing
Verb
  • This dates back to the dawn of consumer-facing chatbot AI, which didn’t have a long honeymoon period as exciting and life-changing tech.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Select two or three existing clients facing frequent false alarms or high compliance overhead.
    — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of facing
Verb
  • And now each of those meetings are being derailed by combating misinformation about vaccines.
    — Roshan N. Bransden, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Fed’s main goals are supporting maximum employment and combating inflation by keeping prices stable.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of combating
Verb
  • If Burrow can stay healthy and give the Bengals some early leads, Dexter Lawrence and the rest of that defensive front will have their opportunities to get after opposing QBs.
    — Dan Pompei, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Americans appear increasingly alarmed by the technology,with 7 in 10 polled in March opposing local construction of data centers that power AI technology, according to a Gallup survey.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of opposing
Verb
  • The Flames and head coach Jamey Chadwell should be back to contending in Conference USA, led by transfer running backs Kam Davis (Florida State) and Kanye Udoh (Arizona State).
    — Justin Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Another group of scholars eventually refuted the claims in 2023, contending the ring had no connection to anyone named Pilate.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of contending
Verb
  • Her experience of encountering that building becomes the film in that chapter.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Maresca, however, need not worry about encountering the same kind of spectacular fallout that blew apart relations between Tevez and City’s last Italian manager, Roberto Mancini.
    — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of encountering
Verb
  • Three people submitted public comments opposing the resolution, according to Board of Supervisors meeting documents.
    — Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Burnam was previously removed from a Tarrant County Commissioners meeting on July 2, 2024.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of meeting

Browse Nearby Words

battles royal
battling
batty
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Cite this Entry

“Battling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battling. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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