ADJ
bloody, fierce
pitched
After months of planning, the two companies engaged in a pitched battle for control of the market.
decisive | great, important, major | famous, historic | land, naval, sea
VERB + BATTLE
fight (in) | win | lose
do, give, go into, join
The soldiers went into battle with courage and determination despite their fears.
send sb into
Thousands of soldiers were sent into battle during the war.
BATTLE + VERB
begin, take place | rage | continue | be over, end
PREP
at a/the ~
Thousands of soldiers lost their lives at the battle during the war.
in (a/the) ~
Many soldiers were injured in the battle for control of the city.
ADJ
fierce | pitched | running | gun
VERB + BATTLE
fight
PREP
~ against
The young athlete trained hard, fighting a determined battle against her rival for the championship title.
~ between
There was a fierce battle between the two rival teams during the championship match.
~ with
The team battled with their rivals throughout the entire match.
ADJ
bitter, fierce
real
Fighting for her promotion at work turned into a real battle against discrimination.
constant, continuing, long, long-running, ongoing, prolonged
losing, uphill
She knew it was an uphill battle to convince her family to move across the country.
successful | court, legal
VERB + BATTLE
be engaged in, do, fight
She decided to fight a battle against her fear of public speaking.
face | win | lose
BATTLE + VERB
begin | be over, end
PREP
~ against
She fought a tough battle against her fear of public speaking before the presentation.
~ between
There has been a long battle between the two companies over who owns the patent.
~ for
The workers fought a long battle for better wages and working conditions.
~ over
Shareholders fought a bitter battle over the company's future direction last year.
~ with
She has been battling with her internet provider for months to get a refund.
PHRASES
a battle of ideas/words, a battle of wills/wits, a battle royal
fight your own battles
She decided to fight her own battles instead of asking her manager for help.
ADV
hard
bravely
She battled bravely against her illness for three years before finally recovering.
in vain
The firefighters battled in vain against the spreading wildfire through the night.
constantly
away
The team battled away for ninety minutes but couldn't find the winning goal.
PREP
against
The team battled against strong opposition but managed to win in the final minutes.
for
The two companies are battling for dominance in the smartphone market.
over
The two companies battled over who owned the rights to the invention.
through
The team battled through a difficult second half to win the match.
with
She battled with her anxiety for years before finally seeking professional help.
PHRASES
battle it out
Two chess players battled it out for three hours before one finally claimed victory.
battle your way
She had to battle her way through the crowded airport terminal to catch her flight.