battled

past tense of battle
1
as in competed
to engage in a contest the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in faced
to enter into contest or conflict with the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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 battled Over the course of a grueling four-hour, 36-minute first-round loss at Arthur Ashe Stadium late Sunday night, 39-year-old Novak Djokovic battled not only a gritty opponent in unseeded Mariano Navone but his own body. Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 31 Aug. 2026 The Dominion battled right back with a pair of stereo suplexes, but Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor hit stereo clotheslines as all four combatants were laid out. Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 At least 93,000 people have been affected by flash floods on the Nepal-China border, the Red Cross said on Friday, as rescuers battled to reach remote rural areas in the Himalayas. Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 This time around, Creed must fight against Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of Ivan Drago, who Rocky battled in Rocky IV. Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 Especially after a roller coaster last few years, in which the actress battled back-to-back health issues. Morgan Evans, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 Hartford has battled injuries to many of its key players but treaded water at 5-9-5 (W-D-L) and hung around the playoff line. Kels Dayton, Hartford Courant, 27 Aug. 2026 Draymond Green, 37, battled foot, ankle and back injuries all season. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026 Mourmouras battled it for 90 minutes, keeping directly above it during the fight to maintain control of the massive fish. Bob McNally, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for battled
Verb
  • Barrichello competed as an F1 driver for 19 seasons and has also raced as an IndyCar and stock car driver.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Studios once competed to offer writers overall deals, giving those studios exclusive access to their output.
    Mike Schur, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • El-Sayed has taken heat from some in his party over his associations with Piker, the left-wing streamer whose comments about American Jews have faced intense criticism in recent days.
    Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 27 Aug. 2026
  • An inquest opened Wednesday into the sudden death earlier this month of Jason Arday, a Cambridge University professor who faced a storm of plagiarism accusations.
    ABC News, ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • The bout marked the first time Cameron and Mayer, 36, had fought each other at either the amateur or professional level.
    Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The gambling industry is far more entrenched in Washington and fought major legislative battles before.
    Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • There, the president’s order and the post office rule enforcing it will certainly be opposed by the Court’s three liberal justices, who disagreed with the conclusion that opponents had filed their case too soon.
    Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The union has opposed such a window on the belief players would feel forced into subpar contracts.
    Evan Drellich, New York Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Rosengart said Gomez should be dismissed from the lawsuit and contended the investors should not have sued her.
    Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • That wouldn’t have left time for the psychotic, hallucinatory state to begin and for the voices in Clancy’s head to kick in and tell her to kill the children and carry out the suicide attempt, as the defense team has contended, Sprague said.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Later that day, Franklin police encountered Ray at a truck stop after receiving a report of a suspicious person, Franklin police have said.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The police report indicated that Lomon encountered the man near the elevators with an open knife.
    Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • High winds and hilly terrain complicated efforts by firefighters, who combated the blazes with firetrucks and bulldozers.
    ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
  • High winds and hilly terrain complicated efforts by firefighters, who combated the blazes with fire trucks and bulldozers.
    Caroline Blumberg, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
Verb
  • Barrichello competed as an F1 driver for 19 seasons and has also raced as an IndyCar and stock car driver.
    Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Drivers who raced in Sunday's Freedom 250 Grand Prix praised everything from the challenging street course to the one-of-a-kind setting surrounding it.
    Mike Stunson, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Battled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/battled. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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