pitched battle

American  

noun

1. a battle in which the orderly arrangement of armed forces and the location have been predetermined.

2. 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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pitched battle British  

noun

1. a battle ensuing from the deliberate choice of time and place, engaging all the planned resources

2. any fierce encounter, esp one with large numbers

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Etymology

Origin of pitched battle

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

Today the dictionary disputes seem to have largely fizzled out, the pitched battles over lexicography having succumbed to a weary war of consumerist attrition.

From The Wall Street Journal

But Musk’s crew was then locked in a pitched battle for control of USIP.

From Salon

Inside the company, a pitched battle raged for months.

From Los Angeles Times

It has been described as the last pitched battle to be fought on British soil.

From BBC

Albro’s Ebell frescoes were indeed bright and modern — having been created in the style recently popularized by Rivera — and, like many great works of art throughout the ages, her creations sparked a pitched battle.

From Los Angeles Times