fighting chance

American  

noun

1. a possibility of success following a struggle.

---

fighting chance British  

noun

1. a slight chance of success dependent on a struggle

---

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]

---

Etymology

Origin of fighting chance

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

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

And that meant that Barron’s stockpickers stood a fighting chance when it came to beating the market.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

The hope is the snake’s new, higher profile in California can give it a fighting chance at avoiding extinction.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025

You’ve set up your finances for longevity and, by reducing financial stress from your life, you’ve given yourself a fighting chance.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 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