The Justice Department has lost an appeal seeking to reverse the merger of AT&T and Time Warner, another defeat for the agency that has repeatedly pressed to stop the massive deal.

After the two companies announced their intention to merge, the Justice Department sued last year to halt the deal, arguing that it would stifle competition. But after a months-long court battle, the department was delivered an ignominious ruling: a judge handed down an extraordinarily one-sided decision in the companies’ favor earlier this year.

The Justice Department moved to appeal the decision, but allowed the $85 billion deal to move ahead without a fight as the appeals court made its determination.

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