field of battle
Where armies clash
A field of battle is the ground where military forces engage in combat—the actual terrain of warfare.
The phrase is somewhat formal or literary compared to battlefield, appearing in historical accounts and military writing: The general surveyed the field of battle before ordering the advance.
It can extend figuratively to any arena of conflict or competition.
- WaterlooCrushing, decisive defeat
- plainBasic and unremarkable
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
- fog of warUncertainty in combat situations
- arenaVenue for contests
Gettysburg · hallowed ground · Verdun · flank · high ground · hill · open ground · proving ground · Hastings · valley · Agincourt · siege · Marathon · crucible · Thermopylae · battleground · Somme · bloody ground
field of battlehome front
Civilian sector during war
rear echelon · safe zone · sanctuary · rear area · demilitarized zone
field of battlepeacetime
Absence of armed conflict
sanctuary · haven · refuge · peace zone · civilian life
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