as in fighting
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Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of battling
Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Grant and Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells have hit homers at a blistering pace and are battling to close the season with the NCAA home run title.
—Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
The superstar guard has gutted through this postseason, first battling runners knee, then returning to action just nine days after suffering a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
Crews remain at the scene battling remaining flames.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
Rojas is battling stage two breast cancer.
—Lauren Pastrana, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
The Thunder earned a bit of a break and awaits two teams battling injuries in the Lakers and Rockets.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Deborah’s relationship — with Frank, with the series, with her own legacy — is a volatile, unsteady thing, where pride and resentment, gratitude and hunger, are always battling it out.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Now, the team is battling through the other end, having lost consecutive games heading into Saturday’s home match against the Utah Royals.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 1 May 2026
Verb
Video from the scene shows firefighters battling large flames and heavy smoke.
—Elyssa Kaufman, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Grant and Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells have hit homers at a blistering pace and are battling to close the season with the NCAA home run title.
—Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
The superstar guard has gutted through this postseason, first battling runners knee, then returning to action just nine days after suffering a hyperextension and bone bruise in his left knee.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 9 May 2026
Crews remain at the scene battling remaining flames.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
Rojas is battling stage two breast cancer.
—Lauren Pastrana, Miami Herald, 8 May 2026
The Thunder earned a bit of a break and awaits two teams battling injuries in the Lakers and Rockets.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Deborah’s relationship — with Frank, with the series, with her own legacy — is a volatile, unsteady thing, where pride and resentment, gratitude and hunger, are always battling it out.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 1 May 2026
Now, the team is battling through the other end, having lost consecutive games heading into Saturday’s home match against the Utah Royals.
—Damian Calhoun, Daily News, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battling
Adjective
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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
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But this story isn’t just for pro-fighting fans.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Second, colleges and conferences are competing businesses that use NCAA rules to limit how each can compete for college athletes’ services.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
6 May 2026
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Ballard, who started two games in 2023 after arriving as a walk-on, and Marshall, a dual-threat who led his Michigan high school to a state championship, are stylistically different but close friends competing for the top job.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
6 May 2026
Verb
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What are the top 3 issues facing schools and students in San Diego County?—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
Japan’s construction industry is facing a productivity crisis, as soaring material costs and an aging workforce threaten the future of the nation’s $625 billion sector.—
Rebecca Cairns,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The organization, whose core mission is combating political extremism, argues fiscal crises historically create the conditions for radical political actors to gain traction.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
28 Apr. 2026
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As part of the settlement, Purdue itself would cease to exist and be replaced by a new company, Knoa Pharma, with a board appointed by the states and an aim of combating the opioid crisis.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The two countries have backed opposing forces in Yemen and are competing economically.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
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The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but some Republicans rejected the bill, opposing earmarking millions more to maintain the fortified Capitol and equip it with the staff necessary to keep the screenings going.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The government is citing legal technicalities and contending the law does not define how a commission should be fairly balanced or whose viewpoints should be represented.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 May 2026
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In addition to contending federal law overrides state statutes like the sanctuary law, the institute is taking a novel legal tack, according to Alex Riggins of the Union-Tribune.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
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Across New York, students are already encountering hate.—
Samantha Hirsch,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
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Something that really drove me nuts in art history was encountering people who felt like what their job was to exercise taste.—
Lilyanna D'Amato,
ARTnews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The 40-year-old nurse manager married Dustin McNeal four years ago after meeting at the hospital.—
Laura Berrios,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
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Karl Mayer German textile machine maker Karl Mayer participated in Techtextil 2026, meeting with key customers and establishing new contacts, with visitors hailing from Germany, Poland, the UK, Turkey, France and Portugal.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Battling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battling. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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