ADJ
- bloody, fierce
- pitched
- The two armies fought a pitched battle on the plain
- decisive
- great, important, major
- famous, historic
- land, naval, sea
VERB + BATTLE
- fight (in)
- win
- lose
- do, give, go into, join
- Charles V refused to give battle. The two armies joined battle
- send sb into
- Many young men were sent into battle without proper training
BATTLE + VERB
- begin, take place
- rage
- continue
- be over, end
PREP
- at a/the ~
- Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo
- in (a/the) ~
- He died in battle
PREP
- ~ against
- Police fought a pitched battle against demonstrators
- ~ between
- a gun battle between police and drug smugglers
- ~ with
- Scores of people have been hurt in running battles with police
ADJ
- bitter, fierce
- real
- There's now a real battle at the top of the First Division
- constant, continuing, long, long-running, ongoing, prolonged
- losing, uphill
- We seem to be fighting a losing battle
- successful
- court, legal
VERB + BATTLE
- be engaged in, do, fight
- Are you prepared to do battle with your insurance company over the claim?
- face
- win
- lose
PREP
- ~ against
- his long battle against cancer
- ~ between
- a fierce battle between developers and the local community
- ~ for
- the battle for human rights
- ~ over
- The government now faces a new battle over tax increases
- ~ with
- They are engaged in a long-running legal battle with their neighbours
PHRASES
- a battle of ideas/words, a battle of wills/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