1
: a fight between dogs
broadly
: a fiercely disputed contest
2
: a fight between two or more fighter planes usually at close quarters
dogfight
intransitive verb
Examples of dogfight in a Sentence
He was shot down in a dogfight over enemy territory.
The election has turned into a real dogfight.
Recent Examples on the Web
That cost them a chance to truly challenge the Phillies in the division and thrust them into a dogfight for the NL’s last wild-card spot.
—
Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Two games like this, dogfights to start the year and just closing it on defense, there’s no better feeling.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
The trouble is if that series goes sideways, the Mariners could still find themselves in a dogfight with the Rangers and Guardians for the last playoff spot.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Following that incident, analysts wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Turkish-Israeli mock dogfights, not unlike the recurring Turkish-Greek ones over the Aegean Sea, occurring over Syria, especially if Israel and Turkey’s opposing policies in that country diverge even further.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
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Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Sep. 2025
Two games like this, dogfights to start the year and just closing it on defense, there’s no better feeling.
—Michael Nowels, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
The trouble is if that series goes sideways, the Mariners could still find themselves in a dogfight with the Rangers and Guardians for the last playoff spot.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
Following that incident, analysts wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Turkish-Israeli mock dogfights, not unlike the recurring Turkish-Greek ones over the Aegean Sea, occurring over Syria, especially if Israel and Turkey’s opposing policies in that country diverge even further.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dogfight
Cite this Entry
“Dogfight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dogfight. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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