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pitched battle
noun
: an intensely fought battle in which the opposing forces are locked in close combat
Examples of pitched battle in a Sentence
She has been in a pitched battle with her ex-husband over custody of their children.
Recent Examples on the Web
Only a few years ago, by contrast, the chief threat was not just irregular terrorism but also rocket and sniper attacks, kidnappings, drive-by shootings, and pitched battles in the streets.
—Antony J. Blinken, Foreign Affairs, 1 July 2012
Parents and teachers on hand for the first day of school said the program was a welcome creation, allowing children to have a semblance of a normal education and social interaction with other students, even as Russian and Ukrainian troops fight pitched battles in the region.
—Heidi Levine, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
The history of Hollywood is, if nothing else, a 100 Years’ War between corporate interests and creative instincts, and that pitched battle, for all its lamentable casualties, has produced the most influential cultural economy on Earth.
—Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2023
Texas is favored to win the women’s tile, while the men’s title competition looks like a four-way, pitched battle between Florida, Texas, North Carolina A&T and Georgia when the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships begin a four-day run Wednesday at Hayward Field.
—Ken Goe For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 7 June 2022
The pitched battle weakened the Russian Army enough for two Ukrainian counterattacks in the fall to succeed, wrote the analysts, Rob Lee and Michael Kofman.
—Andrew E. Kramer Nicole Tung, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2023
Until the rise of industrial-scale warfare, state-versus-state conflicts were apt to end after one big, pitched battle.
—Mark Antonio Wright, National Review, 26 May 2022
The pitched battle over what was supposed to be his quest for a record 10th Australian Open men’s singles championship has highlighted a new dynamic for stars like Djokovic.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2022
The pitched battle over the landscape of American democracy for the next decade is underway in state capitals across the country, as lawmakers begin drawing lines for congressional and state legislative districts based on the 2020 Census.
—Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pitched battle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
circa 1616, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of pitched battle was
circa 1616
Dictionary Entries Near pitched battle
Cite this Entry
“Pitched battle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitched%20battle. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
pitched battle
nounˈpich(t)-
: a fiercely fought battle in which the opposing forces are locked in close combat
More from Merriam-Webster on pitched battle
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pitched battle
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