- battle
- {{Roman}}I.{{/Roman}} noun1 between armiesADJECTIVE▪ bloody, fierce▪ intense, pitched▪
The two armies fought a pitched battle on the plain.
▪ climactic, decisive, final▪Iwo Jima was for many the climactic battle of World War II.
▪ epic, famous, great, historic, important, major▪ land, naval, sea▪ coming, upcoming (AmE)▪The squadron was getting ready for the coming battle.
VERB + BATTLE▪ fight▪ win▪ lose▪ do, enter, give, go into, join, wage▪Charles V refused to give battle.
▪The two armies joined battle.
▪ send sb into▪Many young men were sent into battle without proper training.
▪ surviveBATTLE + VERB▪ begin, ensue, take place▪ rage▪ continue, unfold▪The leaders anxiously watched the battle unfold.
▪ be over, endPREPOSITION▪ at a/the battle▪Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo.
▪ in (a/the) battle▪He died in battle.
2 violent fight between two groupsADJECTIVE▪ fierce▪ pitched▪ running▪ gun▪ turf (esp. AmE)▪A turf battle among competing drug cartels has claimed several lives.
VERB + BATTLE▪ fightBATTLE + VERB▪ eruptPREPOSITION▪ battle against▪Police fought a pitched battle against demonstrators.
▪ battle between▪a gun battle between police and drug smugglers
▪ battle with▪Scores of people have been hurt in running battles with police.
3 struggleADJECTIVE▪ bitter, fierce, heated, intense, tough▪a heated battle between the oil industry and environmentalists
▪ real▪There's now a real battle at the top of the First Division.
▪ constant, continuing, epic, long, long-running, ongoing, prolonged, running▪The college president fought a running battle with the editors of the student newspaper.
▪ coming, upcoming (AmE)▪The upcoming political battle could be for the allegiance of the young.
▪ losing, uphill▪We seem to be fighting a losing battle.
▪ successful▪ court, custody, legalVERB + BATTLE▪ do, engage in, fight▪Are you prepared to do battle with your insurance company over the claim?
▪ be engaged in▪ face▪ win▪ lose▪ end▪She saw a way to end the prolonged legal battle.
BATTLE + VERB▪ rage▪A policy battle is raging in Washington.
▪ begin, ensue▪A ten-month legal battle ensued.
▪ be brewing, be looming, loom▪A battle is brewing between ecologists and big business.
▪ be over, endPREPOSITION▪ battle against▪his long battle against cancer
▪ battle between▪a fierce battle between developers and the local community
▪ battle for▪the battle for human rights
▪ battle over▪The government now faces a new battle over tax increases.
▪ battle with▪They are engaged in a long-running legal battle with their competitors.
PHRASES▪ a battle of ideas, a battle of words▪ a battle of wills, a battle of wits▪ a battle royal (= a major battle in which all available forces take part)▪ fight your own battles▪My parents believed in leaving me to fight my own battles.
▪ pick your battles (= decide which things are worth fighting or disagreeing about)▪{{Roman}}II.{{/Roman}}As a parent, you have to pick your battles.
verbADVERB▪ ferociously, fiercely, hard▪ bravely, gamely, valiantly▪The child battled bravely for her life.
▪ in vain, unsuccessfully▪Doctors battled in vain to save his life.
▪ constantly▪ away▪We'll keep battling away and hope that the goals start to come.
PREPOSITION▪ against▪Rescuers battled against torrential rain and high winds.
▪ for▪factions battling for control of the party
▪ over▪Residents are battling over plans for a new airport runway.
▪ through▪We battled through the snowstorm.
▪ with▪Riot police battled with 4 000 students.
▪He battled with cancer for many months.
PHRASES▪ battle it out▪Competitors battled it out against the clock.
▪ battle your way▪He battled his way to the bar.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
