How do you use the word "against" in a sentence?

Q: How do you use the word "against" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "against": They are too busy fighting against each other to care for common ideals. Are you for or against abortions?

Against Meaning

/əˈɡɛ̟nst/

Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

prepIn a contrary direction to.

prepIn physical opposition to; in collision with.

Sentence Examples

They are too busy fighting against each other to care for common ideals.

Are you for or against abortions?

I would strongly advise against going out on your own.

CEFR Practice Quiz

The lawyer argued strongly ____ the new policy in court.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The little boy leaned his wooden bike ____ the old brick wall.

Word Origin & History

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.? Proto-Germanic *gagin Proto-Germanic *in gagin Proto-West Germanic *in gagin Old English onġēander. Middle English ayenes English against Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. By surface analysis, again + -st (excrescent ending). Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun (“against”), West Frisian tsjin (“against”), Dutch tegen (“against”), German Low German gegen (“against”), German gegen (“against”), Icelandic gegn (“against”).

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"Ivor had acquired more than a mile of fishing rights with the house ; he was not at all a good fisherman, but one must do something ; one generally, however, banged a ball with a squash-racket against a wall." — 1922, Michael Arlen, “3/19/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:

"We expressed our readiness, and in ten minutes were in the station wagon, rolling rapidly down the long drive, for it was then after nine.[…]As we reached the lodge we heard the whistle, and we backed up against one side of the platform as the train pulled up at the other." — 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

"There is an awesome authenticity in Barrus's voice which, I imagine, is frightening to those who must evaluate art against a one-dimensional standard of political rectitude." — 1986 February 15, Lars Eighner, “A Homosexual Norman Mailer?”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 31, page 5:

"“[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”" — 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

"The breakthrough came through Torres who, pilloried for his miss against Manchester United a week earlier, scored his second goal of the season." — 2011 September 24, Aled Williams, “Chelsea 4-1 Swansea”, in BBC Sport:

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