One continuous conflict between entire armies is a battle. Another battle may be fought upon the same field after a considerable interval; or a new battle may follow immediately, the armies meeting upon a new field.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

war The Foreign Minister said that war was inevitable.
fight Starting a fight with Tom wasn't such a good idea.
conflict Your behavior is in conflict with your principles.
skirmish He was involved in a skirmish with a violent gang.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
battle		rising
war		steady
fight		rising
conflict		rising
skirmish		steady

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters: war¹, vie¹
4 letters: fray¹
5 letters: fight¹, field¹, brush¹
6 letters: action²
7 letters: contest², warfare²
8 letters: conflict², struggle², skirmish²
9 letters: encounter³
10 letters: engagement³

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (action² = 2 syllables).