pitched battle

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.

pitched battle

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of pitched battle¹

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

I was recently shown footage by police at a local gendarmerie of what looked like another pitched battle on a beach at dawn, with riot-shielded police defending themselves against a hail of rocks.

From BBC

The Houthis, who started out as anti-government rebels, had spent years in pitched battles with the Yemeni state; in 2014 they overran the capital, Sanaa, then put their sights on the rest of the country.

From Los Angeles Times

In the first pitched battle of the civil war that shaped a newly independent Ireland, seven centuries of history burned.

From New York Times

That is more reminiscent of a pitched battle in 1984 that pitted some of the most powerful Senate Republicans against one another in a storied showdown to win the top job.

From New York Times

Since then, the Taliban have been fighting pitched battles against ISIS-K in Afghanistan.

From New York Times