fighting chance

American  

noun

1. a possibility of success following a struggle.

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fighting chance British  

noun

1. a slight chance of success dependent on a struggle

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fighting chance Idioms  

1. A possibility of winning, but only with a struggle. For example, It's going to be hard to beat that record, but I think he has a fighting chance. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of fighting chance

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fighting chance

“Then he has a fighting chance to work his way back. Trying to do everything — even at a lesser dosage — just wasn’t feasible.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

That’s what the text supports, it’s what common sense supports, and it’s what gives regulated parties a fighting chance of knowing when they’re subject to federal mine safety law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

That fact and success in a series of tight finishes gives England's a fighting chance of something special with or without Buttler on Thursday.

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

Maresca's men, back in the Champions League after two years away, have now won three of their first five games to give themselves a fighting chance of finishing in the top eight.

From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025

I hadn’t doused the fires, merely slowed them down enough to give the townsfolk and their buckets a fighting chance.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss