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
Since then, Jussie has been the subject of various legal battles from the city. Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 22 Aug. 2025 The creativity behind many of these battles is, and has always been, admirable. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
Verb
Religion in Texas classrooms In South Carolina, Oklahoma and Texas, schools are battling over religious expression. Zulekha Nathoo, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025 Zale died just a couple months shy of his 84th birthday and had been a resident at Fountain View Nursing Home in Portage while battling Parkinson’s disease. Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for battle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battle
Noun
  • Redistricting in Texas, the center of the fight, is far from over.
    The NPR Network, NPR, 14 Aug. 2025
  • He was arrested three days after the fights and has been detained at the Hamilton County Justice Center.
    Kevin Grasha, The Enquirer, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The Dodgers were held to three hits by Yu Darvish and the San Diego Padres’ bullpen and the Padres took a 2-1 victory in the opener of this weekend’s NL West skirmish.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Liam Gallagher has been barred from his traditional maracas tossing at Oasis’ reunion concerts after crowd skirmishes in pursuit of the instruments resulted in injuries.
    Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The domed facility features a turf sports field, a multi-sports court, a track, multipurpose rooms, fitness areas, lockers, showers and bathrooms.
    Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 24 Aug. 2025
  • At the facility, the newest officers from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations arm will undergo an eight-week training course covering topics ranging from immigration law to firearms and driving safety before they are sent to a field office to begin working alongside their peers.
    Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Ashcroft had been governor just before him, and the two were rumored to have a rivalry.
    Meredith Kile, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Clubs have built the foundation by nurturing talent and rivalries, but every global sport is also powered by national pride.
    Mike Stubbs, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • On the first Friday under the lights of the Texas high school football stadium, Aledo fans donning the orange and black and packed the stands to see their Bearcats compete.
    Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Consolidation is one recourse for Europe's cash-flush lenders to bulk up their scale and compete with Wall Street's historically more lucrative banking giants.
    Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • While many Americans continue to face housing challenges—from affordability concerns to limited inventory and years of underbuilding—demand for homeownership remains strong.
    Collyn Wainwright, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
  • Even after she was exonerated in 2015, Knox still faced public scrutiny, despite the conviction of a man named Rudy Guede.
    Erin Jensen, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • To combat the risk, ICAO is developing enhanced guidance on spoofing and jamming mitigation, updating navigation manuals to better handle disruptions and working with international partners to establish protective frameworks for these systems.
    Colson Thayer, People.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • But economic uncertainty has brought challenges to the industry, as employers struggle to hire and retain workers and combat inflation and rising material costs.
    Jessie Opoien, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • It was frowned upon to fraternize with opposing players during batting practice, so hugging them in the first inning would be totally out of the question.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
  • Because both of the state’s Democratic senators — Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) — oppose Habba’s nomination, it was doomed for failure due to the power of the blue slips.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battle. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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