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
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 fights
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The winter stretched before us with dinner parties to host, movies to go to, and fights to be had with my father about this and that.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
Welcome to one of the most expensive ballot fights this election cycle.
—Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Even as the county fights to preserve services amid ongoing fiscal struggles, the budget cuts could lead to closures in behavioral health clinics and potential delays to some healthcare.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 2 May 2026
Demonizing the opponent is an effective political tactic and each side fights fire with fire.
—Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
The redistricting fights most likely to play out over the next few years following a Supreme Court ruling.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
This team fights through adversity.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Spread by social media flyers or mass messages beforehand, the takeovers have on occasion spiraled into chaos, with reports of fights, robberies, gunshots and general disruption.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Those who have watched can provide emphatic anecdotes and recollections of arguments, fights, supreme trash talking and table antics that can lead to an unexpected level of intensity.
—Terrance Moore, New York Times, 9 May 2026
The project is particularly acrimonious, drawing out geographical battles between north and south and thorny fights between officials who want to build the tunnel and environmentalists and Delta residents seeking to protect the local ecosystem and their way of life.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Animal rights activists are questioning the University of California, Davis, after potentially preventable fights among monkeys kept at the California National Primate Research Center were highlighted in a routine federal inspection report.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
The fights span Hood and Somervell counties, where neighbors say industrial development threatens water, wildlife, tourism and quality of life.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
Four interior cameras focused on student safety, including incidents such as bullying or fights.
—Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Even if there were arguments and fights, there was still love between those arguments and fights.
—Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Verb
Miller now sits at 28 career UFC wins (most all-time), 48 UFC fights (most all-time), 20 UFC finishes (second only to Charles Oliveira), and 16 post-fight bonuses (tied for third with Nate Diaz, behind only Donald Cerrone).
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The winter stretched before us with dinner parties to host, movies to go to, and fights to be had with my father about this and that.
—Literary Hub, 8 May 2026
Welcome to one of the most expensive ballot fights this election cycle.
—Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026
Even as the county fights to preserve services amid ongoing fiscal struggles, the budget cuts could lead to closures in behavioral health clinics and potential delays to some healthcare.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 2 May 2026
Demonizing the opponent is an effective political tactic and each side fights fire with fire.
—Andrew Cuomo, New York Daily News, 2 May 2026
Its expert team enforces strict production rules, promotes the brand globally, fights counterfeits and certifies every wheel.
—Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
The redistricting fights most likely to play out over the next few years following a Supreme Court ruling.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 30 Apr. 2026
This team fights through adversity.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
Two title fights, multiple division-shifting wins, a record extended for Miller, an arrival statement from Amosov, and a main event that traded weeks of bad blood for legitimate mid-fight respect.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
Spread by social media flyers or mass messages beforehand, the takeovers have on occasion spiraled into chaos, with reports of fights, robberies, gunshots and general disruption.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 May 2026
Those who have watched can provide emphatic anecdotes and recollections of arguments, fights, supreme trash talking and table antics that can lead to an unexpected level of intensity.
—Terrance Moore, New York Times, 9 May 2026
The project is particularly acrimonious, drawing out geographical battles between north and south and thorny fights between officials who want to build the tunnel and environmentalists and Delta residents seeking to protect the local ecosystem and their way of life.
—Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Animal rights activists are questioning the University of California, Davis, after potentially preventable fights among monkeys kept at the California National Primate Research Center were highlighted in a routine federal inspection report.
—Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
The fights span Hood and Somervell counties, where neighbors say industrial development threatens water, wildlife, tourism and quality of life.
—Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
Four interior cameras focused on student safety, including incidents such as bullying or fights.
—Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 2 May 2026
Even if there were arguments and fights, there was still love between those arguments and fights.
—Rick Stroud, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fights
Verb
-
Despite being projected to be the first overall pick, Mendoza skipped the in-person draft in Pittsburgh to stay in Florida with his mother, who battles multiple sclerosis (MS) and is bound to a wheelchair.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
As Halsey battles addiction and Luke confronts his own darkness, their growing feelings force them to question if love is worth the risk.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The advocacy group usually opposes UDB expansions, but Reynolds argues that Kelly should be going through the UDB expansion process with its plans.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
5 May 2026
-
Literature opposes this, asks us to slow down our metabolization of language, become aware of its bond and density.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
The lawyers said that, following the end of her five-year noncompete with Lauder, Malone is allowed to engage in a business that competes with Jo Malone London, and to use her name to identify herself when doing so.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
-
Kimi Antonelli, the 19-year-old driver for Mercedes-AMG Petronas, competes in Sprint qualifying on Saturday.—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
4 May 2026
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
-
Trump demonizes immigrants and has launched a sweeping mass-deportation campaign that was cheered by the far right across Europe; Sánchez resists such nativism, and his government is in the midst of a program to give legal status to some half a million undocumented migrants living in Spain.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Asked what matters most in shaping long-term leadership impact, Molinaroli resists simplification.—
Ascend Agency,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
The game was delayed with just under six minutes on the clock after several skirmishes broke out, leading to the ejections of Seals captain Wes Berg and Toronto’s Elijah Gash.—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
The early skirmishes certainly appeared that way.—
Josh Gross,
Daily News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Those struggles can manifest in a range of ways, McClanahan said, from finding new coping mechanisms to replace food to ongoing body image concerns, even after weight loss.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
14 May 2026
-
During the meeting, teams spoke about their struggles to support their travel to competitions.—
Katie Servas,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Sunday’s defeat at Barcelona capped an embarrassing week for Madrid, marked by altercations between players in training that led the club to fine Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni 500,000 euros ($589,000) each.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 May 2026
-
The cases stemmed from a series of allegations, each made that the other acted violently in a series of altercations that month.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fights. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
