battles 1 of 2

noun

plural of battle
1
as in fights
a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective passing the medical licensing exam was an uphill battle, but she succeeded

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2
as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups a battle between rival gangs left two people lying dead on the street

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in actions
active fighting during the course of a war soldiers who desperately wanted to forget the horrors that they had witnessed in battle

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4
as in rivalries
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the chess game was a real battle between two of the world's best players

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battles

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of battle
1
as in competes
to engage in a contest the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship

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2
as in faces
to enter into contest or conflict with the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours

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3
as in combats
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge

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4
as in opposes
to strive to reduce or eliminate we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist

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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 battles
Noun
The policy updates come amid the slew of ongoing legal battles by players who were originally part of the 2022 high school recruiting class seeking a fifth year of collegiate eligibility. — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 28 Aug. 2026 Then came battles with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service. — Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 The collection, which translated her mental health battles into a universal visual language, became her largest and most renowned body of work. — Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026 Below, Munn details more about her meaningful partnership and how her health battles have revamped her personal style (for the better). — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 With preseason camp winding down and the start of the college football season quickly approaching, UCF coaches continue to make final decisions on position battles before announcing a depth chart next week. — Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026 That was a concept that came from one of our artists in the region who said, OK, well, if there’s been centuries of battles between an evil jinn faction and humanity, perhaps some pieces of them would still remain in the world? — Jennifer Maas, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026 It is set to pay $5 billion more if other social media companies, including Snap, TikTok and YouTube, also settle with states in related legal battles. — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2026 The tariff battles involve steel and aluminum, materials used for farm equipment and cans, pushing prices higher, and the wars have led to skyrocketing fuel costs and supply chain issues. — Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
The youngest of late Lakers owner Jerry Buss’ six children, the brothers have made the Padres their first major investment as the family battles over the sale of its remaining Lakers stake. — Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Is Joe Biden’s wayward son trying to land a lucrative podcast deal or taking one last stand to clear his name as his father battles cancer? — Marlow Stern, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026 The team comes up with scenarios in which Emi fights a mech or battles yakuza in the clouds, and the fights defy expectations. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 Sierra Canyon battles a JSerra team looking to regain its former luster after finishing 3-7 in 2025. — Ethan Hanson, Daily News, 20 Aug. 2026 Going overboard is likely when the Scorpio moon battles Jupiter. — Usa Today, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026 With his new superpowers, Rider battles numerous villains in space, including the Skrulls, who have appeared in recent MCU titles including Secret Invasion and 2019’s Captain Marvel. — Devan Coggan, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026 The rapid growth comes as the company battles its longtime rival OpenAI to win over corporate customers. — Bailey Lipschultz, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026 Sactown will have to wait a little longer for some backflipping good music as Benson Boone battles vocal issues. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battles
  1. fights
  2. skirmishes
  3. actions
  4. rivalries
  5. competes
  6. faces
  7. combats
  8. opposes
Noun
  • The Cabarrus controversy comes as transgender rights have become a major national political talking point, with fights over girls’ sports, bathroom access and school policies playing out in courts and school board meetings.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Gun safety does not begin and end with high-profile fights in Washington or state legislatures.
    — Brittany Berlin, Baltimore Sun, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of fights
Noun
  • Its outcome will be a major milestone in the decades-long political skirmishes over CEQA.
    — Dan Walters, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2026
  • In 1988, for instance, Khomeini finally agreed to end his war with Iraq after the United States began engaging Iranian naval ships in direct skirmishes, leading him to fear that Reagan might formally align with Saddam Hussein’s regime.
    — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of skirmishes
Noun
  • Meta and Anthropic also disclosed their own systems took unsanctioned actions during cybersecurity tests, a wake-up call for the AI and cybersecurity industry.
    — Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • This allows the system to learn individual movements and combine them into more complex actions.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of actions
Noun
  • College football is almost here, bringing back decades-long rivalries, close games and, of course, die-hard fan bases.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Week 1 is full of national showdowns and nonregion rivalries.
    — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rivalries
Verb
  • Heavy federal borrowing competes with families and businesses for capital, pushing up the cost of mortgages, car loans and financing.
    — Carolyn Bourdeaux, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The event comes as China expands its robotics industry and competes to establish leadership in humanoid and autonomous machines, with more than 2,000 robots from 16 countries also taking part in the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of competes
Verb
  • The guidance could have been even higher if not for supply constraints, as the company grapples with shortages in parts like memory, which faces a global crunch due to AI buildouts.
    — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The Little Rock School District faces declining enrollment and financial challenges.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of faces
Verb
  • The Chinese government firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks in accordance with the law.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The Fed typically combats inflation by raising its benchmark interest rate to slow borrowing and spending and cool the economy.
    — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of combats
Verb
  • Becerra, a California native born to Mexican immigrants, opposes what's known as the billionaire tax, on November's ballot.
    — Christine Mai-Duc, NPR, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The Moon opposes Mars early, making impatience easier to trigger when comfort and action pull in different directions.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of opposes

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Cite this Entry

“Battles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battles. Accessed 31 Aug. 2026.

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