Synonyms of fights

fights 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fight

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

• battles
• combats
• wars (against)
• duels
• clashes (with)
• beats
• wrestles
• punches
• hits
• strikes
• knocks
• skirmishes (with)
• slaps
• scrimmages (with)
• pounds
• boxes
• smacks
• socks
• slams
• spars
• belts
• swipes
• thumps
• bashes
• whacks
• smites
• hammers
• bangs
• swats
• brawls
• slugs
• jousts
• buffets
• whales
• bats
• batters
• pastes
• bumps
• slogs
• wallops
• grapples
• tussles
• thwacks
• bludgeons
• bops
• clobbers
• scuffles
• collides

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• submits
• gives up
• surrenders

2

as in opposes

to strive to reduce or eliminate

a civil rights leader who dedicated his life to fighting prejudice

Synonyms & Similar Words

• opposes
• combats
• battles
• counters
• resists
• contends (with)
• confronts
• withstands
• oppugns
• thwarts
• foils
• frustrates
• faces
• baffles
• checkmates
• meets
• defies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• advances
• promotes
• encourages
• fosters
• suffers
• cultivates
• nourishes
• bears
• furthers
• endures
• supports
• advocates
• nurtures
• abides
• forwards
• backs
• endorses
• upholds
• champions

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

• competes
• contends
• races
• battles
• rivals
• vies
• faces off
• plays
• challenges
• maneuvers
• engages
• jostles
• goes out
• works
• jockeys
• tries out
• trains

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

• bickers
• quarrels
• argues
• clashes
• brawls
• disputes
• debates
• squabbles
• rows
• wrangles
• spats
• tiffs
• scraps
• locks horns
• falls out
• controverts
• quibbles
• jars
• hassles
• discusses
• altercates
• butts heads
• mixes it up
• brabbles
• bandies words
• argufies
• contests
• challenges
• contends
• dares
• protests
• tangles
• kicks
• objects
• defies
• fusses
• nitpicks
• cavils
• considers

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• accepts
• agrees
• consents
• coexists
• concurs
• gets along
• assents

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

• resists
• opposes
• withstands
• repels
• defies
• contends (with)
• counters
• combats
• contests
• bucks
• challenges
• disputes
• contradicts
• battles
• stems
• hinders
• thwarts
• frustrates
• checks
• obstructs
• foils
• balks
• baffles

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• yields (to)
• submits (to)
• surrenders (to)
• succumbs (to)
• bows (to)
• gives in (to)
• stoops (to)
• capitulates (to)
• knuckles under (to)

fights

2 of 2

noun

plural of fight

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

• skirmishes
• clashes
• battles
• struggles
• brawls
• scuffles
• tussles
• confrontations
• contests
• dustups
• frays
• conflicts
• combats
• altercations
• duels
• scrimmages
• fracases
• scraps
• quarrels
• blows
• scrums
• disputes
• fistfights
• melees
• pitched battles
• hassles
• fisticuffs
• broils
• slugfests
• squabbles
• jousts
• affrays
• tangles
• battles royal
• spats
• mix-ups
• rows
• donnybrooks
• disagreements
• wrangles
• punch-ups
• controversies
• ruckuses
• punch-outs
• catfights
• rough-and-tumbles
• tiffs
• grapples
• arguments
• ructions
• misunderstandings
• contretemps
• kickups
• fallings-out
• face-offs
• cross fires
• free-for-alls
• handgrips
• argle-bargles
• argy-bargies

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• truces

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

• battles
• struggles
• efforts
• frays
• works
• throes
• attempts
• scrabbles
• pains
• tries
• exertions
• toils
• endeavors
• grinds
• wars
• troubles
• tussles
• combats
• conflicts
• contests
• sweats
• travails
• labors
• drudgeries
• warfares
• strifes
• essays

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

• altercations
• quarrels
• disputes
• disagreements
• controversies
• bickers
• arguments
• brawls
• misunderstandings
• skirmishes
• squabbles
• rows
• spats
• clashes
• feuds
• wrangles
• disputations
• imbroglios
• tiffs
• debates
• battles royal
• contretemps
• donnybrooks
• cross fires
• differences
• rhubarbs
• scraps
• kickups
• fallings-out
• tussles
• argle-bargles
• set-tos
• tangles
• attacks
• protests
• hassles
• argy-bargies
• vendettas
• contentions
• run-ins
• objections
• logomachies
• fisticuffs
• protestations
• melees
• catfights
• dissensions
• affrays
• fracases
• fusses
• frays
• free-for-alls

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fights

Verb

Meta has swooned as the company fights litigation alleging that the firm seeded addictive behavior in children. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

With only three ingredients—water, sodium chloride, and hypochlorous acid—the on-the-go spritzer soothes skin and fights bacteria. — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026

Current legal avenues are also riddled with loopholes, as Big Tech fights them in court, claiming that some laws infringe on free speech. — Allyson Kapin, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Hunger, in turn, fights against weight loss and possibly even spurs more weight gain. — Literary Hub, 17 Aug. 2026

Four-way stretch keeps it from feeling restrictive during hikes, bike rides, and other outdoor adventures, and the polyester-spandex fabric dries quickly and fights odors. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2026

Fried fights a good fight against such solipsistic falsities. — Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 14 Aug. 2026

First Officer Becca Bang (Ariana DeBose) fights to survive a hostile alien past. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026

In Westeros, everyone always fights about the Iron Throne—a chair like an iron cowlick, constructed with actual swords seized from vanquished enemies, jutting every which way. — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Noun

There is a lot of discussion about how far these fights have gone and what the low blows consist of. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 19 Aug. 2026

About eight fights broke out throughout the two-hour session, significantly impacting the ability of either team to get in as much quality work as expected. — Jon MacHota, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

The fights, and tax policy, confronting local governments Governments, school systems, prisons, and police and fire departments often are among the largest employers in communities and have high rates of unionization. — Bob Herman, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026

Five fights have been confirmed for the Paramount+ streaming event. — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

There have been board fights and legal battles to determine which of Jerry’s heirs would take the lead, with various siblings holding the upper hand at certain points. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

While most fights are typically 20 seconds, this lasts a full three minutes. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said this year's Woodward Dream Cruise was largely safe despite an uptick in fights, burnouts and speeding that prompted law enforcement to increase enforcement Saturday. — Gino Vicci, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

As the Democratic caucus prepares for a plethora of probes, Scharf will be both the legal point man for subpoena fights and, potentially, a direct player in some Democratic inquiries. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026