Word
battling
Phoneticsbat·tling
US/ˈbætəɫɪŋ/
UK/bˈætlɪŋ/
Definitions
01fighting an opponent
v. fighting against an enemy or a competitor in a war or a game.
v. engaging in physical or competitive combat with an adversary.
“The two teams were battling for the championship title in the final minutes.”
“The infantry spent the entire afternoon battling for control of the ridge, facing heavy resistance from entrenched positions.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'for' to indicate the goal or 'against' to indicate the opponent.
Antonyms
02struggling with a problem
v. trying very hard to deal with a difficult situation, like an illness or a bad habit.
v. striving to overcome a persistent difficulty, internal conflict, or medical condition.
“She has been battling a cold all week but still went to work.”
“The local government is currently battling a significant budget deficit while trying to maintain essential public services.”
Usage
Can be used transitively with the problem as a direct object, or with 'against' or 'with'.
Synonyms
03the act of fighting
n. the activity of fighting or struggling.
n. the process or instance of engaging in combat or a difficult struggle.
“After years of battling, the two companies finally agreed to a merger.”
“The constant battling between the political factions has led to a complete stalemate in the legislature.”
Real-World Examples
“However, it is likely to make a big difference to the emergency services who have been battling against the extreme weather and wildfires over the last few weeks.” “He said plans were being drawn up for emergency financial support for fire services battling the spread of wildfires.” “Crews were battling numerous large fires in early August 2026, particularly in Oregon, following lightning storms in the previous weeks.” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/battling