1
as in combating
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
a proud people who have fiercely fought all invaders of their homeland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposing
to strive to reduce or eliminate
a civil rights leader who dedicated his life to fighting prejudice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in competing
to engage in a contest
everyone on that street seems to be fighting to see who can create the gaudiest holiday lighting display
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in bickering
to express different opinions about something often angrily
if you kids continue to fight, I'm turning this car around and we're heading back home!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in resisting
to refuse to give in to
I tried to fight the temptation to eat another cookie—and lost
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in battling
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in combat
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of fighting
Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
But the computer model couldn’t distinguish fighting roosters from non-fighting roosters.
—Jeff Horwitz, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2021
Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The name may, for example, signal the speaker’s perspective on who is responsible for the fighting and, therefore, to blame for the death and destruction that follows.
—Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Humanitarian organizations estimate over 13 million people have been displaced by the fighting between the government’s military forces and the rebel RSF fighters, with famine and disease a by-product of the struggle for power.
—Rory Fleming, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Other sites of fierce fighting such as The Somme and Flanders quickly returned to their former selves.
—Michael Jerome Plunkett
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
McGregor began publicly expressing anti-immigration and anti-asylum seeker views in 2022 after his career in fighting seemed to be receding and around the same time that far-right ethno-nationalism was rising in Ireland.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
After five years of fighting in the courts, a Detroit man has won a $145,000 settlement in an excessive force lawsuit against the Michigan State Police, which tried repeatedly to get the case dismissed on government immunity grounds.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Cambodia and Thailand - Leaders of the two countries agreed to a ceasefire on July 28 after five deadly days of fighting, Reuters reported.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
La’an resists his attempts to persuade her to abandon her Vulcan form by fighting him, but fighting turns to a dance that concludes with La’an asking to be changed back.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
And while Johnson’s team is still fighting to climb NASCAR’s competitive ladder, results are starting to follow.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
And who will foot the bill for fighting this lawsuit?
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
And just this past January, NPR also reported that nearly two dozen Colombian mercenaries died fighting in the Sudanese civil war.
—Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Stines’ attorneys are also fighting to keep the case in Letcher County.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
But Kyle Freeland is still fighting, as the Giants’ Rafael Devers was reminded this week.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Edwards, along with protesting comrade Tom Hopper (Raife Hastings) and crass CIA contractor Jules Landry (Luke Hemsworth) join a secret CIA unit fighting terrorism in Europe.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Fast‑forward to a world where spreadsheet jockeys are fighting GPT‑9 for billable hours, and suddenly that juggler has pricing power.
—Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
Verb
Some had joined Ukrainian combat units as volunteers, while others have sought to assist the Ukrainian people in non-fighting capacities.
—Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 4 Feb. 2023
But the computer model couldn’t distinguish fighting roosters from non-fighting roosters.
—Jeff Horwitz, WSJ, 17 Oct. 2021
Adjective
After being lured into fighting by social media, prospective foreign volunteers have to fill out an online application before being contacted for an interview.
—Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
The name may, for example, signal the speaker’s perspective on who is responsible for the fighting and, therefore, to blame for the death and destruction that follows.
—Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Humanitarian organizations estimate over 13 million people have been displaced by the fighting between the government’s military forces and the rebel RSF fighters, with famine and disease a by-product of the struggle for power.
—Rory Fleming, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
Other sites of fierce fighting such as The Somme and Flanders quickly returned to their former selves.
—Michael Jerome Plunkett
september 5, Literary Hub, 5 Sep. 2025
McGregor began publicly expressing anti-immigration and anti-asylum seeker views in 2022 after his career in fighting seemed to be receding and around the same time that far-right ethno-nationalism was rising in Ireland.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
After five years of fighting in the courts, a Detroit man has won a $145,000 settlement in an excessive force lawsuit against the Michigan State Police, which tried repeatedly to get the case dismissed on government immunity grounds.
—Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 5 Sep. 2025
Cambodia and Thailand - Leaders of the two countries agreed to a ceasefire on July 28 after five deadly days of fighting, Reuters reported.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025
La’an resists his attempts to persuade her to abandon her Vulcan form by fighting him, but fighting turns to a dance that concludes with La’an asking to be changed back.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
The emotional ballast of the film — Davidson’s bond with Dottie Achenbach (a wonderful Maxine Peake), the mother of one his childhood friends, who is also fighting her own health battles — also suffers from moments of incoherence, but the immense power of that bond goes a long way.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
And while Johnson’s team is still fighting to climb NASCAR’s competitive ladder, results are starting to follow.
—Greg Engle, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
And who will foot the bill for fighting this lawsuit?
—Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
And just this past January, NPR also reported that nearly two dozen Colombian mercenaries died fighting in the Sudanese civil war.
—Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
Stines’ attorneys are also fighting to keep the case in Letcher County.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2025
But Kyle Freeland is still fighting, as the Giants’ Rafael Devers was reminded this week.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025
Edwards, along with protesting comrade Tom Hopper (Raife Hastings) and crass CIA contractor Jules Landry (Luke Hemsworth) join a secret CIA unit fighting terrorism in Europe.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
Fast‑forward to a world where spreadsheet jockeys are fighting GPT‑9 for billable hours, and suddenly that juggler has pricing power.
—Seth Yudof, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fighting
Verb
-
Newcastle, outside the ‘Big Six’ but battling to get in and mostly clear of PSR troubles, completed each of the four biggest deals by an English club not in that group, signing players from Stuttgart, Forest, Brentford and Villa.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For those battling severe disease, foundation staffers can work with you one-on-one to fight a denial.—
Lauren Sausser,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Their success was even more impressive considering the lack of a complementary wide receiver to prevent opposing secondaries from doubling Lamb.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Lewis’ legislation also includes several additional changes to the initiative petition process, such as a ban on foreign adversaries from contributing to or opposing ballot measures.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The system also demonstrated versatility by competing against another humanoid robot, maintaining consistent exchanges across multiple rallies.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Sep. 2025
-
In 2022, LeanIn reported that Black women are more ambitious than other women competing for available corporate roles.—
Gena Cox,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Coaches are also bickering about money, a topic that would have felt out of place 10 years ago.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The casting here is perfection itself, with Cumberbatch and Colman bickering back and forth with all the drawing-room style of a new age Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall, or maybe the Burton and Taylor of The Taming of the Shrew with a dab of Virginia Woolf.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The other five were charged with felony resisting arrest, and four are facing an additional charge of giving false information to law enforcement, officials said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Cinto-Ramirez was charged with resisting arrest, driving without a license causing death and leaving the scene of a crash involving death.—
Elizabeth Pritchett,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Fired from elite law firm Tinley Britt after an argument with his boss (John Slattery), Rudy barely pauses for breath before launching into righteous combat.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Lockheed Martin executives said the award reflects the interceptor’s combat performance and reputation among the United States and allied militaries.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Los Angeles Chargers Now would be a good time for Justin Herbert to take that leap into becoming a Super Bowl-contending quarterback.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Tucker is likely to be the most coveted available player in the sport with any number of contending teams competing to sign him.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At the conclusion of the state's case Wednesday, the defense moved to have the case dismissed, arguing the state had failed to prove its case.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Sep. 2025
-
However, a Minnesota court struck down the binary trigger ban, arguing that the legislature violated the state constitution’s single-subject clause by burying the ban inside a sprawling spending bill.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fighting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fighting. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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