as in fighting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in competing
to engage in a contest
the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in facing
to enter into contest or conflict with
the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in combating
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in opposing
to strive to reduce or eliminate
we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 battling
Luke Smith, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Still, consumers have been battling with higher prices for groceries, including record egg prices, and the threat of more spikes as tariffs take effect.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
All things considered, golf fans are in for an absolute treat with two of the best players in the world battling it out in the final group on Sunday at The Masters.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Last year at WrestleMania XL, Lynch delivered a notable performance against Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship, despite battling strep throat.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Charles, meanwhile, has been battling cancer since last year.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Powell-Ryland would be battling for the fourth edge rusher spot on the 53-man roster.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Brannan and Levine are battling for the comptroller nod because the incumbent, Brad Lander, isn’t seeking reelection in favor of running to try and unseat Adams as mayor.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
The Lakers took care of business in both areas, leading to a 104-98 victory in the first of two crucial matchups in 12 days between teams that are among those battling for home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
With 10 laps to go, Antonelli was battling with Haas driver Ollie Bearman, sitting P11.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Still, consumers have been battling with higher prices for groceries, including record egg prices, and the threat of more spikes as tariffs take effect.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 12 Apr. 2025
All things considered, golf fans are in for an absolute treat with two of the best players in the world battling it out in the final group on Sunday at The Masters.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Last year at WrestleMania XL, Lynch delivered a notable performance against Rhea Ripley for the Women's World Championship, despite battling strep throat.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
Charles, meanwhile, has been battling cancer since last year.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025
Powell-Ryland would be battling for the fourth edge rusher spot on the 53-man roster.
—Daniel Popper, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Brannan and Levine are battling for the comptroller nod because the incumbent, Brad Lander, isn’t seeking reelection in favor of running to try and unseat Adams as mayor.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2025
The Lakers took care of business in both areas, leading to a 104-98 victory in the first of two crucial matchups in 12 days between teams that are among those battling for home-court advantage in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
—Khobi Price, Oc Register, 1 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battling
Adjective
-
But the computer model couldn’t distinguish fighting roosters from non-fighting roosters.—
Jeff Horwitz,
WSJ,
17 Oct. 2021
-
Some had joined Ukrainian combat units as volunteers, while others have sought to assist the Ukrainian people in non-fighting capacities.—
Dan Lamothe,
Washington Post,
4 Feb. 2023
Verb
-
Field size will expand a touch with over 20 creators competing in the events that will be enhanced by live ShotLink powered by CDW scoring/data, Trackman shot tracing and the same onscreen graphics pro game watchers have come to expect.—
Mike Dojc,
Forbes,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Carey Hart, who has been competing in motocross for years, embraced the opportunity to push himself physically after having to take a step back recently.—
Elizabeth Stanton,
Fox News,
8 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Blatter, 89, and Platini, 69, had been facing a charge of corruption at the Extraordinary Appeals Chamber of the Swiss Criminal Court before being cleared, according to a statement to The Athletic from their lawyer, having previously been cleared of fraud more than two years ago.—
Dan Sheldon,
The Athletic,
25 Mar. 2025
-
Her team, down seven and facing its largest deficit of the night, went from smiling and finding easy buckets to straight-faced and struggling to find a rhythm.—
Taylor Lyons,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Hochman's office also filed a motion opposing the petition.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2025
-
These kinds of stuck weather patterns that have intense interaction of opposing forces right next to each other are becoming more common in a changing climate.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Against this backdrop, the remainder of López's contract could be appealing to a contending team.—
Newsweek,
Newsweek,
22 Dec. 2024
-
The path is similar this time around, and Tampa Bay is coming off a resounding 40-17 victory over the playoff-contending Los Angeles Chargers.—
Associated Pess,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
April 3 after a resident in the 9400 block of Parkside Avenue reported encountering an armed individual in his backyard.—
Dennis Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Today, vaccine coverage is widespread enough that unvaccinated children can easily live to adulthood without ever encountering the virus, but not uniformly high enough to prevent outbreaks altogether.—
Sarah Zhang,
The Atlantic,
7 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Battling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battling. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share