pitched battle
Americannoun
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a battle in which the orderly arrangement of armed forces and the location have been predetermined.
-
an encounter in which the antagonists are completely and intensely engaged.
The dispute evolved into a pitched battle between management and labor.
noun
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a battle ensuing from the deliberate choice of time and place, engaging all the planned resources
-
any fierce encounter, esp one with large numbers
Etymology
Origin of pitched battle
First recorded in 1600–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The leak is a blow for Anthropic because it risks both undermining its reputation for safety and also revealing valuable trade secrets in the pitched battle for enterprise customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Warner’s board has not yet set the meeting date but has suggested the pivotal vote could occur by April — pushing the pitched battle for the company into spring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026
But Musk’s crew was then locked in a pitched battle for control of USIP.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2025
It has been described as the last pitched battle to be fought on British soil.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2025
The noise of battle will be furious; the Einherjar, Odin’s noble warriors, are locked in pitched battle with the evil dead, Loki’s troops.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
