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pitched battle

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pitched battle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

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RELATED WORDS

brawl, fight, melee, riot, rumble

Nearby words

  1. pitch-faced,
  2. pitch-pipe,
  3. pitchbend,
  4. pitchblende,
  5. pitched,
  6. pitched battle, a,
  7. pitcher,
  8. pitcher plant,
  9. pitcher, molly,
  10. pitcherful

Origin of pitched battle

First recorded in 1600–10
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for pitched battle

pitched battle

noun

a battle ensuing from the deliberate choice of time and place, engaging all the planned resources
any fierce encounter, esp one with large numbers
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012