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View synonyms for

battle

1

[ bat-l ]

noun

  1. a hostile encounter or engagement between opposing military forces:

    the battle of Waterloo.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. participation in such hostile encounters or engagements:

    wounds received in battle.

    Synonyms: ,

  3. a fight between two persons or animals:

    ordering a trial by battle to settle the dispute.

  4. any conflict or struggle:

    a battle for control of the Senate.

  5. Archaic. a battalion.

verb (used without object)

battled, battling.
  1. to engage in battle:

    ready to battle with the enemy.

  2. to work very hard or struggle; strive:

    to battle for freedom.

    Synonyms:

verb (used with object)

battled, battling.
  1. to fight (a person, army, cause, etc.):

    We battled strong winds and heavy rains in our small boat.

  2. to force or accomplish by fighting, struggling, etc.:

    He battled his way to the top of his profession.

battle

2

[ bat-l ]

verb (used with object)

Archaic.
battled, battling.
  1. to furnish (a building or wall) with battlements; crenelate.

battle

1

/ ˈæə /

noun

  1. a fight between large armed forces; military or naval engagement; combat
  2. conflict; contention; struggle

    his battle for recognition

  3. do battle or give battle or join battle
    to start fighting
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. whenintr, often foll by against, for, or with to fight in or as if in military combat; contend (with)

    she battled against cancer

  2. to struggle in order to achieve something or arrive somewhere

    he battled through the crowd

  3. intr to scrape a living, esp by doing odd jobs
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Battle

2

/ ˈæə /

noun

  1. a town in SE England, in East Sussex: site of the Battle of Hastings (1066); medieval abbey. Pop: 5190 (2001)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Battle

3

/ ˈæə /

noun

  1. BattleKathleen1948FUSMUSIC: coloratura soprano Kathleen . born 1948, US opera singer: a coloratura soprano, she made her professional debut in 1972 and sang with New York City's Metropolitan Opera (1977–94)
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈٳٱ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • t noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of battle1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English batail(le), batal, from Old French bataille, from Vulgar Latin ٳ (unrecorded) for Late Latin ٳٳ (neuter plural) “gladiatorial exercises,” equivalent to battu(ere) “to strike” + -, neuter plural of - adjective suffix; -al 2, bate 2

Origin of battle2

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English batailen, from Middle French bataillier “to provide with batailles; battlement
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Word History and Origins

Origin of battle1

C13: from Old French bataile , from Late Latin ٳ exercises performed by soldiers, from battuere to beat
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. give / do battle, to enter into conflict; fight:

    He was ready to do battle for his beliefs.

More idioms and phrases containing battle

see half the battle ; losing battle ; pitched battle .
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Synonym Study

Battle, action, skirmish mean a conflict between organized armed forces. A battle is a prolonged and general conflict pursued to a definite decision: the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. A skirmish is a slight engagement, often on the periphery of an area of battle: several minor skirmishes. An action can be a battle or a skirmish or can refer to actual fighting or combat: a major military action; action along the border; He saw action in the campaign.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 6, Loyola 2: Jacob Madrid had two hits and three RBIs for the Knights battling for a Mission League playoff spot.

From

Nestled beneath China's wide rump, it is once again on the frontline in a new American battle –which hopes to stem Beijing's rise as an economic superpower.

From

And the Planetary Society has engaged thousands of passionate activists to fight this battle.

From

It was also just one of many ongoing court battles in a much larger legal war being waged against the Trump administration by California and its allies.

From

The Democratic incumbent has been embroiled in a contentious legal battle over her victory in what has become the nation's last uncertified election since the end of last year.

From

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Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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