The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DING-DONG
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
D
I
N
G
-
D
O
N
G
More clues leading to the result DING-DONG
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Battle" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case battle = ding-dong.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DING-DONG mean?
DING-DONG noun- An idiot.
- A penis.
- A woman's breast.
- A fight, an argument; a set-to.
- An idiot.
- An attachment to a clock by which the quarter hours are struck upon bells of different tones.
- To ring with two tones, like a bell swinging back and forth.
- Closely fought.