BATTLES Synonyms: 218 Similar and Opposite Words

battles 1 of 2

noun

plural of battle

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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Relevance

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

truces

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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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

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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in combats

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in opposes

to strive to reduce or eliminate we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist

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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 battles

Noun

Policy Policy Your guide to the Supreme Court, federal courts, judicial nominations, and the legal battles shaping American policy. — Washington Examiner, The Washington Examiner, 17 Oct. 2026 That changed after the 2020 presidential election, when secretaries of state in places such as Arizona, Georgia and Michigan were thrust into battles over election results, certification and false claims of widespread fraud. — Thom Reilly, The Conversation, 16 Oct. 2026 Test your knowledge of brisket battles, Hollywood history and more in this week's American Culture Quiz. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The Colorado Ground Game In Colorado, the ground campaign to promote Amendment 83 has fallen largely to veterans of Colorado’s recent wildlife-management battles. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026 Hoskins made a bright-red sport coat his sartorial trademark, often posing with a wood baseball bat and speaking about politics as a series of battles and himself as a conservative warrior. — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2026 Realizing her terrible move, Lilith must join forces with Cinderella (Amanda Seyfried) in an epic quest, with battles royale and friendships forged along the way. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026 But a judge has now paused construction across the region, giving a major boost to landowners who have sought to impede the wall by refusing to cooperate with government surveyors, protesting at county meetings and gearing up for court battles. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Though their eligibility battles remain unsettled, both players took part in Thursday’s 45-minute open practice at Allen Fieldhouse as full-fledged members of KU’s 2026-27 team. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2026

Verb

Under Paris France, 2024 A female scientist battles a killer shark who turns up in the Seine. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026 Harald’s death comes as Charles battles an undisclosed type of cancer. — Allison Degrushe, StyleCaster, 10 Sep. 2026 Pitt stars as a former Special Forces officer who battles the elements with his combat dog, named Odin. — Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 But Xu’s fortunes have turned in four short years as Shein battles tariffs, political scrutiny and growing competition. — Dave Sebastian, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for battles

Noun

The trailer also featured glimpses of steamy makeouts, ATV chases down the beach, fiery explosions, and good ol’ bar fights.

— Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Director Christopher Nolan uses the premise to stage spectacular sequences where cars reverse down freeways at high speed, cause and effect goes topsy-turvy, and fights are just, well, weird.

— Richard Edwards, Space.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of fights

Noun

This leads to even more behind-the-scenes skirmishes laced with character-centric comedy, as opposing factions align.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Ties between the two countries remain strained over their long-running Himalayan border dispute, which erupted into a deadly skirmishes in 2020 that saw soldiers from both sides use rocks and iron rods in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

— Helen Regan, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of skirmishes

Noun

Now, Amy Helm has countersued the studio, alleging that her successor, Brian Parillo, used invalid corporate actions to take control of the famed music venue in Woodstock, New York, and improperly obtained voting power from Levon Helm’s widow.

— Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
Major reports about its immigration actions and pay-for-play operations have gotten significant airtime on the network and praise from Weiss.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of actions

Noun

Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
There are a few big rivalries in the NFL, but almost none have as much history as Chicago and Green Bay.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of rivalries

Verb

SpaceX competes with Anthropic and OpenAI in the AI market, though Grok trails far behind models from top rivals.

— Lora Kolodny, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026
Out of sub-Saharan Africa, Cameroonian director Auguste Bernard Kouemo competes with House of the Wind, which debuted in the Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti sidebar winning its Special Jury Prize and the Lion of the Future for a Debut Film.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of competes

Verb

Prosecutors said Wilcox faces a maximum sentence of 74 years to life in prison.

— Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Despite seeking international support and launching a new military offensive, Saudi Arabia faces a conflict with no clear endgame, as fragmented allies and unresolved regional tensions make a lasting solution hard to achieve.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of faces

Verb

FinCEN is the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which combats money laundering, illicit financial activities and terrorist financing networks around the world.

— Steve Kopack, NBC news, 13 Oct. 2026
How Wisconsin combats loneliness Sampson said re-establishing connection to other people can often be a trial-and-error process.

— Caden Perry, jsonline.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of combats

Verb

The museum opposes an attempt by the Jewish Federation-Council of Greater Los Angeles and its board chair Daniel Gryczman, who sued in September for the return of Lucas Cranach the Elder’s 16th-century diptych painting Adam and Eve.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Doody, a former radio host, also supports school choice and opposes a millionaire tax, two notches in his favor.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of opposes

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battlers

battles

battles royal

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Style

“Battles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battles. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of battles

noun

verb

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