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
Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Vucevic sustained the injury while battling for position with Mavericks big man Moussa Cisse on an entry pass.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
The Aggies took a brief lead, but the Tigers kept battling to force overtime.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Nigeria is battling a complex security crisis from different armed groups.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The satisfying pock of paddle on ball, battling through long rallies, and breaking into dance moves with Chrissy after a perfect slam.
—Gali Kronenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Julie Ascen has been battling MALT lymphoma for nearly a year.
—Ivan Taylor, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Season 2 saw the ladies battling love, heartbreak, motherhood, jealousy, and the full force of the English legal system.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Two projects currently on Kickstarter are battling for the attention of EDC enthusiasts.
—Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Firefighters are still battling the five-alarm blaze, which is expected to continue burning for several days.
—Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Vucevic sustained the injury while battling for position with Mavericks big man Moussa Cisse on an entry pass.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 7 Mar. 2026
The Aggies took a brief lead, but the Tigers kept battling to force overtime.
—Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Nigeria is battling a complex security crisis from different armed groups.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
The satisfying pock of paddle on ball, battling through long rallies, and breaking into dance moves with Chrissy after a perfect slam.
—Gali Kronenberg, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Julie Ascen has been battling MALT lymphoma for nearly a year.
—Ivan Taylor, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2026
Season 2 saw the ladies battling love, heartbreak, motherhood, jealousy, and the full force of the English legal system.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Feb. 2026
Two projects currently on Kickstarter are battling for the attention of EDC enthusiasts.
—Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battling
Adjective
-
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
-
But this story isn’t just for pro-fighting fans.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Only when Russia and Belarus, separately, took FIS (the international ski and snowboard federation) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in December 2025, did their competing in Italy become possible.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The researchers are now testing the process on real battery waste and more complex electronic scrap streams containing additional competing ions and lower metal concentrations.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Two of the four suspects facing murder charges in the 2021 Northwest Miami-Dade club shooting that killed three people and injured 20 others won’t face the death penalty.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
-
An 11-year-old boy has been taken into custody and is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of his 5-year-old brother in Centennial, Colorado, investigators announced Wednesday.—
Nadine El-Bawab,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism.—
Shira Li Bartov,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
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Maintaining a healthy lawn is the first step to combating weeds, but sometimes additional control strategies are needed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Orange County leaders again heard a deluge of comments from the public, with several dozen opposing the county’s agreement with the federal government that allows the detention of immigration detainees at the jail.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
-
There was no public record, however, of anyone submitting letters to the board opposing or supporting the project before Tuesday’s vote, and there was also no public comment Tuesday against the project.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But unlike many of their other losses to playoff-contending teams, the Lakers answered Denver’s run.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
On a Stanley Cup-contending team, he’s best served as a third-line driver.—
Harman Dayal,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Travelers across the United States are encountering unusually long airport security lines as a partial federal government shutdown strains staffing at the Transportation Security Administration.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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State officials decided last year to end the contracts with the current regional vendors of the Next Generation 911 system after encountering call routing and service issues.—
William Melhado,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The regulations have led to more fuel-efficient vehicles on the roads and, in recent years, hybrid and electric ones, critical to meeting the state’s climate laws.—
Blanca Begert,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Santi is now going to be a senior at De Longpre High School, his first day spent in large part by meeting the members of the Sunshowers, the school’s crack marching band, perhaps more popular than any particular sports team at the school.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Battling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battling. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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