battle/clash of wills
noun phrase
: a contest in which each side is determined to get what it wants and neither side seems willing to yield or compromise
He won the battle/clash of wills with his wife.
Examples of battle/clash of wills in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The months-long battle between Nordic labor and the Tesla CEO has led to problems for the EV company
For the past several months, Tesla has been locked in a battle of wills with the labor unions of Sweden.
—
Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024
Aster mysteriously finds her way to the lonely Beacon-keeper Halan, and a tense battle of wills unfolds.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
Alongside the escalating battle of wills between Kahlen and De Schinkel, the writers trace the delicate arc of Ludwig and Ann Barbara’s relationship, which starts out as master and housekeeper but evolves into a deeper alliance as circumstances erase the lines between them.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023
Her constant battle of wills with the head nurse led to her leaving.
—Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022
Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Miami Heat are locked in a battle of wills with each showing no signs of budging.
—Afentres, oregonlive, 6 July 2023
As with most everything surrounding this two-year battle of wills and personalities, more questions than answers remain.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2023
Engineer Kevin Ha and his equally nimble friends had been acting against wasteful businesses in Paris long before Russia started cutting energy supplies to Europe in a battle of wills over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
—The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022
When Agamemnon’s queen, Klytemnestra (Anastasia Hille), learns of the plot to advance the war at the price of her child’s life, a ferocious battle of wills unfolds, with Ms. Hille tearing into Agamemnon with a scorching heat to match Mr. Wright’s own.
—Charles Isherwood, WSJ, 28 July 2022
Lucas Ropek / Gizmodo, Quartz, 23 Feb. 2024
Aster mysteriously finds her way to the lonely Beacon-keeper Halan, and a tense battle of wills unfolds.
—Breanna Bell, Variety, 20 Sep. 2023
Alongside the escalating battle of wills between Kahlen and De Schinkel, the writers trace the delicate arc of Ludwig and Ann Barbara’s relationship, which starts out as master and housekeeper but evolves into a deeper alliance as circumstances erase the lines between them.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2023
Her constant battle of wills with the head nurse led to her leaving.
—Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2022
Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Miami Heat are locked in a battle of wills with each showing no signs of budging.
—Afentres, oregonlive, 6 July 2023
As with most everything surrounding this two-year battle of wills and personalities, more questions than answers remain.
—John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2023
Engineer Kevin Ha and his equally nimble friends had been acting against wasteful businesses in Paris long before Russia started cutting energy supplies to Europe in a battle of wills over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
—The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2022
When Agamemnon’s queen, Klytemnestra (Anastasia Hille), learns of the plot to advance the war at the price of her child’s life, a ferocious battle of wills unfolds, with Ms. Hille tearing into Agamemnon with a scorching heat to match Mr. Wright’s own.
—Charles Isherwood, WSJ, 28 July 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'battle/clash of wills.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near battle/clash of wills
Cite this Entry
“Battle/clash of wills.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle%2Fclash%20of%20wills. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share