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
Jack Fink, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Nigeria is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
During construction, Black men shoveled mud through malarial swamps, while battling snakes and alligators in intense heat.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
OpenAI and Anthropic are battling for supremacy in the market for large language models.
—Lola Murti, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
California has been battling the rodent ever since, and recent research by wildlife officials suggests the rodent’s sudden return may have been intentional.
—Samantha Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
And, he’s been battling with that.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Larson has spent the past eight years battling Minnesota for the state’s top prep players and will use the newfound recruiting cache that comes along with that Gophers logo on his pullover.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
After battling a rare adrenal gland cancer for the past five years, Gilbert had experienced all sorts of side effects that can spring up from treatments and medications.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
Patrick called out Cornyn and Paxton, who are battling each other to win the Republican primary runoff on May 26.
—Jack Fink, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Nigeria is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom.
—ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026
During construction, Black men shoveled mud through malarial swamps, while battling snakes and alligators in intense heat.
—Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
OpenAI and Anthropic are battling for supremacy in the market for large language models.
—Lola Murti, CNBC, 10 Apr. 2026
California has been battling the rodent ever since, and recent research by wildlife officials suggests the rodent’s sudden return may have been intentional.
—Samantha Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
And, he’s been battling with that.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 4 Apr. 2026
Larson has spent the past eight years battling Minnesota for the state’s top prep players and will use the newfound recruiting cache that comes along with that Gophers logo on his pullover.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 4 Apr. 2026
After battling a rare adrenal gland cancer for the past five years, Gilbert had experienced all sorts of side effects that can spring up from treatments and medications.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 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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Just getting to this point, where competing in meaningful games on national television is the norm, is a sign of the culture shift within the Charlotte Hornets.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
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Health care providers regularly transfer those patients elsewhere, competing for spaces in other counties.—
ANNIKA MERRILEES,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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However, after facing opposition, the bill was amended so that any disciplinary decisions would be handled at the local school level.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The museum started as a small window display facing into the alley behind Hattiesburg's Saenger Theater.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Still, as bad actors get increasingly creative and learn how to evade the roadblocks thrown in their path, Spotify and other major streaming platforms have to continue combating the issue — and get more clever doing so.—
Kyle Eustice,
VIBE.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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One of the strategies for combatting climate change in the Tomorrow Garden is agroforestry, which integrates the cultivation of trees and crops together.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Dorman was endorsed by Stop The AI Data Center, a grassroots political action group formed by residents opposing the incoming $150 billion artificial intelligence data center from Dutch company Nebius.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
8 Apr. 2026
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The Association of Federal Health Organizations, which represents CVS Health and dozens of other federal health plan carriers, also weighed in with a 122-page comment opposing the notice.—
Amanda Seitz,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Just look at the other contending teams right now, some of them much better bets to win it all at this point than the Knicks are, and with good reason.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Maria Hadden, 49th, on Wednesday wrote an email to her colleagues contending the mayor’s office wants contributions to certain aldermanic staffers’ pensions to come out of their ward expense accounts, according to a copy of the correspondence obtained by the Tribune.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For some classes, participants are invited to harvest herbs from the Grunsfeld Children’s Growing Garden, encountering firsthand the seed-to-plate process.—
Nicole Schnitzler,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
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At a time of widespread angst over runaway ticket prices, merely encountering something novel at a concert isn’t enough for many to justify the cost of getting in the door, particularly when superstars like Taylor Swift and SZA are on the road showing that innovation and value can coexist.—
Vanessa Franko,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Attendees could also check out who else was single in the audience using the Next Fun Thing’s dating app, which facilitates meeting people IRL at the event company’s activities, from speed dating to kickball.—
Brittany Levine Beckman,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
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The shipman embarked on Sunday for an over 48-hour journey that would take him from the Iraqi port where his vessel was anchored to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, before finally meeting his wife and parents in his hometown of Mumbai.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Battling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battling. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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