1
as in battles
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 opposes
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 competes
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 bickers
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 resists
to refuse to give in to
I tried to fight the temptation to eat another cookie—and lost
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
a troubled youth who got into one fight after another
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in struggles
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective
the mayoral candidate pledged to lead a successful fight to improve the city's schools
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in altercations
an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions
the couple have their share of fights, but they quickly get over them
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fights
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
The movie, about a pop girl group called HUNTR/X that fights demons, was a smash hit.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
The dispute also tests the limits of executive power under the Antideficiency Act and highlights the Court’s expanding role in resolving urgent policy fights through emergency rulings.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
The remarks came during his trip to Brazil, where Newsom joined Milken Institute CEO Richard Ditizio in Sao Paulo, speaking out as California fights a legal battle with the federal government over its right to enforce its own clean air and climate rules.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Paul’s fights against older guys, such as Mike Tyson, or semi-retired MMA fighters, like Anderson Silva, generated attention and sold tickets and pay-per-view buys.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
The leader of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that fights antisemitism, is explaining his group's decision to set up a special project to monitor Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Mark walks differently than you, talks different than you, fights differently than you.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
The festival’s Critics’ Award went to Love Me Tender, which sees Vicky Krieps play a lawyer who fights her ex-husband for custody of their son after starting a new relationship.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Martin's fights, namely her 1996 match against Deirdre Gogarty, brought women's boxing to a whole new audience.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill to power Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
The fights are being broadcast on DAZN pay-per-view.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
As their once-passionate love life begins to deteriorate, so too does Grace's mental health, leading to explosive fights, violence, and infidelity.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
More fights will no doubt soon follow.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2025
Historical police data shows arguments or fights escalating was a factor in about 29% of all homicides in the city since 2020.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025
However, leaking information about fights, movements, and filming activity happens all the time.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
And the action ranges from dueling card tricks to the kind of honest-to-God fights that merely serve to remind us that balletic action films really are magic tricks.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
The movie, about a pop girl group called HUNTR/X that fights demons, was a smash hit.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
The dispute also tests the limits of executive power under the Antideficiency Act and highlights the Court’s expanding role in resolving urgent policy fights through emergency rulings.
—Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
The remarks came during his trip to Brazil, where Newsom joined Milken Institute CEO Richard Ditizio in Sao Paulo, speaking out as California fights a legal battle with the federal government over its right to enforce its own clean air and climate rules.
—Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Paul’s fights against older guys, such as Mike Tyson, or semi-retired MMA fighters, like Anderson Silva, generated attention and sold tickets and pay-per-view buys.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Nov. 2025
The leader of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that fights antisemitism, is explaining his group's decision to set up a special project to monitor Zohran Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City.
—NPR, 7 Nov. 2025
Mark walks differently than you, talks different than you, fights differently than you.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
The festival’s Critics’ Award went to Love Me Tender, which sees Vicky Krieps play a lawyer who fights her ex-husband for custody of their son after starting a new relationship.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
The Democratic crackup that’s now underway in Washington is distracting the party from a series of brutal fights just ahead that will culminate in next year’s midterms.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Martin's fights, namely her 1996 match against Deirdre Gogarty, brought women's boxing to a whole new audience.
—Ralphie Aversa, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Voter anger over the cost of living is hurtling forward into next year’s midterm elections, when pivotal contests will be decided by communities that are home to fast-rising electric bills or fights over who’s footing the bill to power Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
The fights are being broadcast on DAZN pay-per-view.
—Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025
As their once-passionate love life begins to deteriorate, so too does Grace's mental health, leading to explosive fights, violence, and infidelity.
—Mike Miller, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Nov. 2025
More fights will no doubt soon follow.
—Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2025
Historical police data shows arguments or fights escalating was a factor in about 29% of all homicides in the city since 2020.
—Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 3 Nov. 2025
However, leaking information about fights, movements, and filming activity happens all the time.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fights
Verb
-
But soon, an intruder introduces both suspicion and hope for connection, as loneliness battles with the fear that something considerably larger than a virus is hiding in the dark.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Per Pete Thamel of ESPN, the Red Raiders will ask redshirt freshman Will Hammond to make his first career start on Saturday as senior quarterback Behren Morton battles a leg injury.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The case centers on a directive to use $4 billion from an alternative fund to pay November SNAP benefits in full—a move the administration opposes.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The Sports Betting Alliance, representing companies like Draft Kings and FanDuel, opposes the bill's revenue-sharing model.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Cherry’s older brother, Taeshon, played collegiately and competes professionally overseas.—
Joe Davidson,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Sook also argued broadcast stations will continue to dominate political advertising sales, but faces stepped up competition from streaming services, where Nexstar competes with its NewsNation live TV streamer.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The pope, played by Samora la Perdida, is a mincing oaf who bickers with Galas about the value of translating Wagner.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The research team revealed that plastination is a new method for managing moisture in wood by replacing water in the cellular structure with a silicone compound to create a durable, hydrophobic barrier that resists swelling, rotting, and cracking.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Nov. 2025
-
So, for me, that was the creation of the Anti-American Speech Committee, which is a government panel essentially designed to prosecute artists for holding views or creating work that resists basically the fascist state that has overtaken the American government.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
David Wolf, the executive director of the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Scottsbluff, said experts estimate that as many 10 people died for every mile of the trail ‒ perhaps as many as 20,000 travelers, plus an unknown number of Native Americans killed during skirmishes.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Amid the skirmishes that ensued, federal agents fired a chemical agent toward a protester at near-point-blank range, and security personnel later opened fire on a U-Haul truck that had backed up toward a barrier on the island’s bridge, injuring the driver and an apparent bystander.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But behind closed doors, the then-couple were facing marital struggles, as Betty claimed in her 2015 memoir, Telling On Myself.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The struggles of being a parent and the struggles of your child are so understandably private.—
Rosemary Rossi,
Variety,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Unfortunately, the launch of the Bearista cup didn’t go as expected, with merchandise shortages nationwide and physical altercations breaking out at some locations, leaving many customers empty-handed.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Other behaviors that commonly cause altercations during flights include shouting, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and reclining your seat without consideration for the person sitting behind.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fights. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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