combat

1 of 3

noun

com·​bat ˈkäm-ˌbat 

1

: a fight or contest between individuals or groups

2

: conflict, controversy

3

: active fighting in a war : action

casualties suffered in combat

combat

2 of 3

verb

com·​bat kəm-ˈbat 

ˈkäm-ˌba-

combated or combatted; combating or combatting

intransitive verb

: to engage in combat : fight

transitive verb

1

: to fight with : battle

2

: to struggle against

especially : to strive to reduce or eliminate

combat pollution

combat

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adjective

com·​bat ˈkäm-ˌbat 

1

: relating to combat

combat missions

2

: designed or destined for combat

combat boots

combat troops

Synonyms

Noun

• field
• attack
• battle
• fire
• action
• hostilities

Verb

• fight
• battle

Choose the Right Synonym for combat

oppose, combat, resist, withstand mean to set oneself against someone or something.

oppose can apply to any conflict, from mere objection to bitter hostility or warfare.

opposed the plan

combat stresses the forceful or urgent countering of something.

combat disease

resist implies an overt recognition of a hostile or threatening force and a positive effort to counteract or repel it.

resisting temptation

withstand suggests a more passive resistance.

trying to withstand peer pressure

Examples of combat in a Sentence

Noun

Some of these soldiers have never seen combat.

He was killed in combat.

Verb

The drug helps combat infection.

She dedicated her life to combating poverty.

Exercise can help combat the effects of stress.

The mayor pledged to combat crime.

They have been combating the rebels for months.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Yona Efraim Feldbaum, 37, a soldier in the Combat Engineering Corps in the Gaza Division, who fell in combat in southern Gaza. —Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025

The environmentally minded prince launched The Earthshot Prize in 2020 to champion solutions that combat climate change, and his choice of an electric scooter fits right in with that mission. —Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025

Verb

To combat this, a 4-2-3-1 can be morphed into multiple defensive shapes depending on the head coach’s preference. —Mark Carey, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025

While Frey warns women with textured hair that the topical solution can lead to dryness, flaking, and itching, which may perpetuate the hair loss cycle, De La Torre suggests taking medications orally can help combat some of the side effects. —Essence, 23 Oct. 2025

Adjective

The move would close loopholes that allowed military aircraft to turn off their ADS-B equipment, even when flying on non-combat missions. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025

When his brother was killed, he was placed in a non-combat unit. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French, from combatre to attack, fight, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- + battuere to beat

First Known Use

Noun

1546, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1564, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Adjective

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing combat

• combat fatigue
• hors de combat
• mortal combat
• single combat

Kids Definition

combat

1 of 2 noun

com·​bat ˈkäm-ˌbat 

1

: a fight or contest between individuals or groups

2

: conflict entry 1 sense 2

3

: active fighting in a war : action

soldiers experienced in combat

combat

2 of 2 verb

com·​bat kəm-ˈbat 

ˈkäm-ˌbat

combated or combatted; combating or combatting

1

: to fight with : battle

2

: to struggle against

especially : to strive to reduce or eliminate

combat disease