battlenoun [ C ]
uk/ˈbæt.əl/us/ˈbæt̬.əl/battle noun [ C ] (FIGHT)
B1 a fight between armed forces:
the Battle of the Somme
Her only brother was killed in battle (= while fighting).
More examples
- During the war, he saw many of his comrades fall in battle.
- They've been engaged in a legal battle with the council for several months.
- We will be flying 100 badly wounded civilians out of the battle zone tonight.
- She has fought a constant battle with depression throughout her career.
- In the battle to retake the village, over 150 soldiers were killed.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fighting
- a fight to the finish idiom
- bloodless
- bloodletting
- brawl
- combat
- counterinsurgency
- disturbance
- dust-up
- engagement
- fighting
- fistfight
- fisticuffs
- fray
- he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day idiom
- hotspot
- last
- pick
- shoot
- slug
- slug it out idiom
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battle noun [ C ] (ARGUMENT)
B2 an argument between two groups or against a situation that a group wants to change:
The aid agency continues the battle against ignorance and superstition.
The battle for women's rights still goes on.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Arguments & disagreements
- argument
- belligerent
- blow up
- conflict
- confrontation
- contention
- counter-argument
- disharmony
- dispute
- dissonance
- feud
- fracas
- Mexican standoff
- quibble
- rivalry
- row 1
- shindig
- slanging match
- trouble
- tussle
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battle noun [ C ] (EFFORT)
B2 a determined effort to achieve something in a difficult situation or to change a bad situation:
a long battle against cancer
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Trying and making an effort
- a blitz on sth idiom
- all-out
- assault
- attempt
- attempted
- bid
- crack
- go the extra mile idiom
- go to great lengths idiom
- God helps those who help themselves idiom
- grasp at sth
- grope
- push
- seek
- shoot
- strain every nerve idiom
- stretch a/the point idiom
- strive
- strove
- succeed
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Idiom(s)
battle of wits
do battle
battleverb [ I ]
uk/ˈbæt.əl/us/ˈbæt̬.əl/to fight:
Police battled with residents in this inner-city area for three days.
For years the two nations battled over territory.
C2 to try hard to achieve something in a difficult situation:
He had to battle against prejudice to get a job.
Her parents battled for the right to be involved in the decision-making.
We battled with the elements to get the roof fixed.
More examples
- They had to battle to save his life.
- We've battled with the authorities to change the system.
- I've battled for years to get him promoted.
- I battled with the wind and the rain to get here!
- He's always battling with management to get things changed.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Fighting
- a fight to the finish idiom
- bloodless
- bloodletting
- brawl
- combat
- counterinsurgency
- disturbance
- dust-up
- engagement
- fighting
- fistfight
- fisticuffs
- fray
- he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day idiom
- hotspot
- last
- pick
- shoot
- slug
- slug it out idiom
See more results »
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Trying and making an effort