English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Translator | COBUILD Grammar Patterns | Scrabble | Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
| Sign Up | Log In
 
English
Menu
English Dictionary Thesaurus Translator Grammar Scrabble Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
Sign Up Log In

Definition of 'battle of wills'

battle of wills

phrase
A battle of wills is a situation that involves people who try to defeat each other by refusing to change their own aims or demands and hoping that their opponents will weaken first.
The President offered compromises to parliament to defuse the battle of wills over who should wield power.
battle
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

battle of wills in British

(ˈbætəl əv wɪlz)
noun
a situation that involves people who try to defeat each other by refusing to change their own aims or demands and hoping that their opponents will weaken first
The battle of wills between father and daughter
The President offered compromises to parliament to defuse the battle of wills over who should wield power.
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Example sentences containing 'battle of wills'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
Climbing the Hill Howie had expected the fight ahead to be somehow refined; a battle of wills or wits. Clive Barker THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW (2001)It was a battle of wills, and Grace's was the stronger. Melville, Anne THE HARDIE INHERITANCE (2001)"The German was clearly claiming victory in their private battle of wills. Dobbs, Michael WALL GAMES (2001)

Nearby words of 'battle of wills'

  • Battle of Omdurman
  • Battle of the Atlantic
  • Battle of the Bulge
  • battle of wills
  • battle of wits
  • battle order
  • battle royal

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'B'

Source

Definition of battle of wills from the Collins English Dictionary

Brackets ( )

Brackets(also called parentheses) are used to enclose a word or words which can be left out and still leave a meaningful sentence. The wooded area ( see map below ) is approximately 4,000 hectares....
Read more about 'Brackets ( )'
Word of the day:
bard
A bard is a poet.
See full definition
Apr 23, 2018
Fed up with the great British weather? Here’s how to afford that dream summer escape
From planning early to knowing where to look, these top tips will help you fulfil your summer holiday desires
Read more
The etymology behind 4 eggs-ellent Springtime words
We’ve explored the diverse etymology of 4 eggs-ellent words associated with spring.
Read more
Up Lit, Alexa Laugh & Meet Me at McDonald’s Hair: March’s Words In The News
Catch up on the latest words in the news this March with Robert Groves.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Latest Word Submissions
Barrecore Apr 18, 2018
wido Apr 18, 2018
centimorgan Apr 17, 2018
gender expansive Apr 16, 2018
Carthritis Apr 15, 2018
Submit View More
Browse the English Dictionary
  • #
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
View all dictionaries...
  • View more
  • API
  • B2B Partnerships
  • Advertising
  • Word Banks
  • Collins COBUILD
  • Collins ELT
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact us
  • Languages
  • English
  • Thesaurus
  • Grammar
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Portuguese
  • Hindi
  • Word Lists
  • Word of the Year
  • Scrabble
  • COBUILD Anniversary
© Collins 2018