battle 1 of 2

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as in field
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

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battle

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verb

1
as in to compete
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 to face
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

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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 battle
Noun
This, after an epic indoor fireworks battle — among other shenanigans — had the place looking like a warzone in videos. Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 8 May 2025 The battle to legalize marijuana has played out in state legislatures over the past decade. Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Verb
At the time, Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, battled poor health. Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2025 Thomas will battle Markeith Williams and Dylan Day to start opposite Poyser. Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for battle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battle
Noun
  • The court appearance had stalled last month due to a fight over access to a parole document.
    Karim Doumar, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2025
  • Turns out that during the fight, Gretchen switched papers.
    Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • But the pause comes amid a backdrop of daily skirmishes, largely by drone warfare.
    Stephen J. Beard, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Not about the economic turmoil from tariffs, any one of the skirmishes playing out abroad, or a surprise shake-up in his White House staff.
    Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 9 May 2025
Noun
  • In any field, whether that be policy, education, or business, Susan’s approach can yield great benefits, simply by broadening our perspectives and encouraging adaptability.
    Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
  • Rahm’s score of 5 over on the Green Mile was the second worst of any player in the field Sunday.
    Justin Ray, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Noun
  • She is locked in a bitter rivalry with the Bears, whose growing presence and destructive ways threaten the land she is sworn to protect, by any means necessary.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 May 2025
  • But their rivalry over money and customers led to a bitter lawsuit in Miami federal court in 2011 that was resolved through a settlement the following year.
    Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Verb
  • Over the subsequent period in NXT, Dolin competed in various singles matches and different tag team pairings.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
  • Fans, hedge funds, and sovereign wealth funds would all be competing to get a piece.
    Azeem Khan, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Verb
  • Major cities like New York were already facing frightening death tolls that climbed higher each day—but that’s not what Eddington is about.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 17 May 2025
  • Prior to that, the Mets will face Carlos Rodón in the opener and Clarke Schmidt on Saturday.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Adding sensible ball-carrying would really help City combat the physical nature of the Premier League.
    Sam Lee, New York Times, 15 May 2025
  • These searches are rare, highly regulated, and have been used in identifying and combating serious crimes, including terrorism, smuggling, human trafficking, and visa fraud.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • Some suffragists argued that immigrants opposed suffrage for women and prohibition, and therefore immigrant voting posed a threat to their agenda.
    Time, Time, 19 May 2025
  • In California, 59 percent of voters opposed cash reparations in a 2023 poll by the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
    Laurel Rosenhall, New York Times, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battle. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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