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battle

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noun American English pronunciation: battle /ˈbæt(ə)l/ 
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singularbattle
pluralbattles
  1. 1
    [countable/uncountable] a fight between two armies in a war

    one of the bloodiest battles of World War II

    battle of:

    the Battle of Waterloo

    in battle:

    soldiers wounded in battle

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  battleThesaurus entry for this meaning of battle
    1. a.
      [countable] a fight between two groups of people

      He was wounded in a gun battle with the police.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  battleThesaurus entry for this meaning of battle
  2. 2
    [countable] a situation in which different people or groups compete with each other in order to achieve something or get an advantage

    The couple are locked in a bitter legal battle over custody of their children.

    a boardroom battle

    battle for:

    the battle for the leadership of the Democratic Party

    a battle to do something:

    Supermarkets are cutting prices in a desperate battle to win customers.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  battleThesaurus entry for this meaning of battle
    1. a.
      a situation in which someone is trying very hard to deal with a difficult situation
      battle against:

      She has lost her battle against breast cancer.

      a battle to do something:

      It was a daily battle to get my son to go to school.

      fight a losing battle (=try to do something that will probably fail):

      She tried to get him to go, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  battleThesaurus entry for this meaning of battle
See also

This is the American English definition of battle. View British English definition of battle.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to British English.

 

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