a battle of wills

a battle of wills

A competition in which opposing sides are unrelenting in their attempts to achieve a particular outcome. Each refusing to compromise, the husband and wife entered into a battle of wills as they attempted to negotiate their divorce settlement.
See also: battle, of, will

a battle of wills

If an argument or conflict is a battle of wills, the person with the strongest beliefs or personality will win. It was a battle of wills, and Grace's was the stronger. All that was left was a mutual struggle, a battle of wills, which became totally exhausting.
See also: battle, of, will

a battle of ˈwills

a competition, an argument or a struggle where each side is very determined to win: Annie and Phil were engaged in a silent battle of wills, each refusing to leave.
See also: battle, of, will
References in periodicals archive ?
It was a battle of wills and, in the end, we just wanted it more than England.
WE FOUGHT FOR IT MORE
Wills can cause the rejection of religion (The Wild Irish Girl), cause vicarious enjoyment (Trollope's Palliser novels), delineate properties and legacies (Uncle Silas), identify race and impose illegitimacy (Daniel Deronda), create a battle of wills (The Strange Case of Dr.
Troubled legacies; narrative and inheritance
If Lava Man can look Bernardini in the eye, he might win a battle of wills with the 3-year-old who has yet to face a neck-and-neck fight in the stretch.
LAVA MAN'S FLOW WILL STOP
It wasn't a battle of wills for Ian Woosnam yesterday, more like a battle of winds, writes PETER SHUTTLEWORTH.
WOOSIE BATTLES GALES
But the French World Cup winner couldn't have been more truthful about the Englishman who won credit for the depth of his determination in a battle of wills and physical strength.
Football: Thuram: I'll be glad to see back of big Sutton
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