battle

battle with (someone or something)

1. To engage in an armed conflict or struggle with someone. Our troops prepared to battle with the rebels from the southern isles.
2. To engage in an argument or dispute with someone. I feel like I'm constantly battling with the number-crunchers from accounts to get the budget I need for my team. The president has been battling with Congress over the proposed legislation.
3. To engage in a relentless or merciless competition with someone or something. The two companies have been battling with one another for market dominance for nearly 10 years. She will be battling with the two-time national champion in the gold-medal match tomorrow night.
4. To struggle to make something function correctly. I've been battling with this dishwasher all morning, but it still won't drain! The amount of time each day we spend battling with this printer is downright ridiculous.
See also: battle
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

battle (with someone) (over someone or something)

Fig. to argue or struggle with someone over someone or something. (Not meant to involve physical fighting.) Why do you always have to battle with me over practically nothing? You shouldn't battle over just anything for the sake of argument!
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See:
  • (old) battle-ax(e)
  • a battle of nerves
  • a battle of wills
  • a battle of wits
  • a battle royal
  • a losing battle
  • a pitched battle
  • a running battle
  • a war of nerves
  • an uphill battle
  • an uphill struggle/battle/task
  • battle
  • battle against
  • battle cry
  • Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father
  • battle for
  • battle of the bulge
  • battle of the giants
  • battle out
  • battle royal
  • battle stations
  • battle with (someone or something)
  • battle-ax
  • be fighting a losing battle
  • be half the battle (won)
  • choose (one's) battles (wisely)
  • do battle
  • do/join battle
  • draw (the) battle lines
  • enough (something) to sink a (battle)ship
  • Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
  • fight (one's) own battles
  • fight a losing battle
  • fight your own battles
  • give battle
  • half the battle
  • in the heat of (something)
  • join battle
  • join battle (with someone or something)
  • lose the battle, but win the war
  • losing battle, (to fight) a
  • losing battle, a
  • old battle-axe
  • pick (one's) battle(s)
  • pitched battle
  • pitched battle, a
  • Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain
  • running battle
  • the battle lines are drawn
  • the battle of the sexes
  • uphill battle
  • wage (something) against (someone or something)
  • win the battle, but lose the war
References in classic literature
Terrible is the battle of the kings; dreadful the look of their eyes.
English Literature For Boys And Girls
The northern squadron of Asiatics came into the battle unnoted by Bert, except that the multitude of ships above seemed presently increased.
When Bert's sense of security was sufficiently restored for him to watch the battle again, he perceived that a brisk little fight was in progress between the Asiatic aeronauts and the German engineers for the possession of Niagara city.
The central tangle of the battle above was circling down as if to come into touch with the power-house fight.
Thence the battle circled back over Niagara, and then suddenly the Germans, as if at a preconcerted signal, broke and dispersed, going east, west, north, and south, in open and confused flight.
She lifted weakly, turned sharply as if to get out of the battle, burst into flames fore and aft, swept down to the water, splashed into it obliquely, and rolled over and over and came down stream rolling and smashing and writhing like a thing alive, halting and then coming on again, with her torn and bent propeller still beating the air.
The War in the Air
Then Phoebus Apollo said to Mars, "Mars, Mars, bane of men, blood-stained stormer of cities, can you not go to this man, the son of Tydeus, who would now fight even with father Jove, and draw him out of the battle? He first went up to the Cyprian and wounded her in the hand near her wrist, and afterwards sprang upon me too, as though he were a god."
I see not one of them here; they cower as hounds before a lion; it is we, your allies, who bear the brunt of the battle. I have come from afar, even from Lycia and the banks of the river Xanthus, where I have left my wife, my infant son, and much wealth to tempt whoever is needy; nevertheless, I head my Lycian soldiers and stand my ground against any who would fight me though I have nothing here for the Achaeans to plunder, while you look on, without even bidding your men stand firm in defence of their wives.
He sprang from his chariot clad in his suit of armour, and went about among the host brandishing his two spears, exhorting the men to fight and raising the terrible cry of battle. Then they rallied and again faced the Achaeans, but the Argives stood compact and firm, and were not driven back.
"My friends," said he, "quit yourselves like brave men, and shun dishonour in one another's eyes amid the stress of battle. They that shun dishonour more often live than get killed, but they that fly save neither life nor name."
Brave Menelaus pitied them in their fall, and made his way to the front, clad in gleaming bronze and brandishing his spear, for Mars egged him on to do so with intent that he should be killed by Aeneas; but Antilochus the son of Nestor saw him and sprang forward, fearing that the king might come to harm and thus bring all their labour to nothing; when, therefore Aeneas and Menelaus were setting their hands and spears against one another eager to do battle, Antilochus placed himself by the side of Menelaus.
Iliad
"They rose up and tossed their spears: the soldiers called to the captains, 'Come, lead us'--and the captains cried to the king, 'Direct thou the battle.'
"Their plumes covered the valleys as the plumes of a bird cover her nest; they shook their shields and shouted, yea, they shook their shields in the sunlight; they lusted for battle and were glad.
"They are food for the kites and the foxes, and the place of battle is fat with their blood.
King Solomons Mines
Never in the history of Barsoom, Tars Tarkas told me, had such a force of green warriors marched to battle together.
Princess of Mars