plural battles
1
: a hostile encounter between opposing military forces
the battle of Normandy
soldiers who fell in battle
—sometimes used before another nounbattle gear
2
: a usually lengthy contest, struggle, or controversy
a child custody battle
legal battles
… Detective Madison spends the film locked in a battle of wits with a criminal who always manages to stay one step ahead of him.—
Brad Sanders
Brad Sanders3
: a struggle to succeed or survive
her battle with cancer
… I came home and faced an uphill battle to gain support for the treaty in the U.S. Senate.—Al Gore
Al Gore4
: a combat between two persons
specifically, history
: the combat by which disputes were legally decided
In spite of the appeal of trial by battle to the imagination and plotlines of Victorian novels and Hollywood films, it was an uncommon event. —Norman F. Cantor
Norman F. Cantor 5
archaic
: battalion
battled; battling
; battles
ˈbat-liŋ,
ˈba-tᵊl-iŋ
; battles
1
2
: to contend with full strength, vigor, skill, or resources : struggle
They battled to keep their son out of jail.
battling over how to spend the money
1
: to fight or struggle against
battling cancer
two teams set to battle each other for the championship
battling it out in the courtroom
2
: to force, thrust, or drive by battling
battling his way through the crowd
battler
noun
ˈbat-lər
ˈba-tᵊl-ər
plural battlers
… will no doubt continue to be the Senate's boldest battler for … justice …
—John Nichols
John Nichols
… a player who sweats: a fighter, a battler, a tireless worker who never stops.
—Sam Borden
Sam Borden
battled; battling; battles
Phrases
do battle
: to engage in a fight or struggle
… used to do battle with the fearless radicals of the Socialist Workers Party …—Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie
: an important and necessary part of doing or achieving something
I think you will prosper, for the sincere wish to be good is half the battle.—Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May AlcottIn the positioning war, half the battle is picking the right enemy.—Ted Morgan
—often used with words like only and just to stress that something is not enough by itself to achieve a desired goalTed MorganSelecting which partners and investors to woo is only half the battle. Knowing how to pitch them is equally important.—Michelle Goodman
Michelle Goodman
: while fighting a battle
soldiers in the heat of battle
—often used figurativelyWhen it comes to devising a game plan or making a key decision in the heat of battle, is there any coach you'd rather have than Bill Belichick?—Brian Baldinger
Brian Baldinger
: to engage in a prolonged fight, argument, or struggle
The two sides battled it out in court.
… predicting that she and her 15-year-old sister, Serena, would soon be battling it out for No. 1.—S. L. Price
S. L. PriceExamples of battle in a Sentence
Noun
That two-day conflict has become one of the most famous battles in history.
The battle continued late into the night.
Thousands of soldiers were willing to go into battle to fight the enemy.
A police officer was injured in a gun battle that took place last night.
The company was involved in a legal battle with one of its employees.
the never-ending battle between good and evil
Verb (1)
the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship
the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours
the two armies battled each other for control of the bridge
we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist
Recent Examples on the Web
Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The deployments have sparked intense backlash, a dizzying number of legal battles and upended daily life in communities flooded with federal agents and National Guard troops.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
It's named after their 17-year-old son, Ryan, who died in December 2018 after battling the neuromuscular condition spinal muscular atrophy.
—Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for battle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Mbappe’s personal battle with the linesman’s flag.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
The deployments have sparked intense backlash, a dizzying number of legal battles and upended daily life in communities flooded with federal agents and National Guard troops.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
The queen mother died last week at the age of 93 after years battling illnesses, Reuters reported.
—Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2025
It's named after their 17-year-old son, Ryan, who died in December 2018 after battling the neuromuscular condition spinal muscular atrophy.
—Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for battle
Cite this Entry
“Battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battle. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
battle
1 of 2 noun
bat·tle
ˈbat-ᵊl
1
: a fight between two persons
trial by battle
2
: a fight between armies, warships, or airplanes
3
: a long or hard struggle or contest
a battle of wits
battle
2 of 2 verb
battled; battling
ˈbat-liŋ
-ᵊl-iŋ
1
: to engage in battle
2
: contend sense 2, struggle
battle for a cause
3
: to fight against
battling a forest fire
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