fighting chance

noun

1. a possibility of success following a struggle.

fighting chance

noun

1. a slight chance of success dependent on a struggle

Word History and Origins

Origin of fighting chance¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

In fact, if Cruz doesn’t join the club it could be years before we see anyone else with a fighting chance.

From Washington Post

It could give us a fighting chance to get restoration right.

From Science News

Around 2008, after decades of captive breeding and reintroduction efforts, the weasel-like animals seemed to have a fighting chance of gaining a foothold back in their native grasslands.

From Popular-Science

This isn’t the first poll to show Warnock looking like a favorite and Ossoff with a fighting chance.

From Washington Post

If small manufacturers and retailers had a fighting chance in competing with Amazon, they might help reverse the decline in start-up creation.

From Time

But at least in Moscow, a bribe or a good connection stand you a fighting chance to get what you need.

From The Daily Beast

What kept him going was the belief that he had a fighting chance to beat the disease.

From The Daily Beast

If anything is going to get Hillary Clinton paying attention to those voices, A Fighting Chance will be it.

From The Daily Beast

But I bet that at least a few, who have touched the painful quick of their own humble humanity, can have a fighting chance.

From The Daily Beast

If Best Buy still has folks like Stephen Gillett," I told myself, "they've still got a fighting chance.

From The Daily Beast

They knew that we were waiting for them, but at the worst they had a fighting chance with us, and none with what came behind.

From Project Gutenberg

We remember that we have a ninety-seven and a half fighting chance out of a hundred, and we are willing to take it.

From Project Gutenberg

"We'll have to take our fighting chance of that," Jack replied.

From Project Gutenberg

In spite of his vacillation and final failure to evacuate Dresden, Napoleon had an excellent fighting chance.

From Project Gutenberg

We wouldn't stand a fighting chance except for one thing—Thomas himself.

From Project Gutenberg