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

While he accepts that platforms like TikTok help artists who might not have a "fighting chance in the industry", he says the constant stream of content can sometimes feel like "fast food" music.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

“We have always said that our presence next to a child in a courtroom is one of the only things that gives them a fighting chance at justice in our broken immigration system.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

The family of a teenage boy whose cancer returned days after he celebrated being cancer-free say a new clinical trial gives their son "a fighting chance".

From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026

"We have a fighting chance to reduce plastics because it's very much a contemporary issue."

From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026

“If you want a fighting chance, you gotta listen, Nessy.”

From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles