b
: an airplane of high speed and maneuverability with armament designed to destroy enemy aircraft
Synonyms
Examples of fighter in a Sentence
the debate whether more fighters are needed to bring order to that war-torn country
a program at the community center for training local youths as fighters
Recent Examples on the Web
The Israeli military said today that its fighter jets have begun striking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip, in the clearest sign yet that the war has resumed with full force after a weeklong truce.
—
Wafaa Shurafa, arkansasonline.com, 1 Dec. 2023
Hospitals have been shelled, airstrikes have pummeled residential neighborhoods and ravenous fighters have raped, kidnapped and killed countless civilians.
—Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
The idea is reminiscent of the U.S.-brokered deal that allowed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and thousands of fighters to flee Beirut during Israel’s 1982 siege of the Lebanese capital.
—Dion Nissenbaum, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023
Benjamin said many of the Hamas fighters are orphans due to Israeli attacks.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 30 Nov. 2023
While Russia reportedly delivered Iran millions of dollars in cash and purportedly captured Western weaponry Tehran could reverse-engineer, such as Javelin anti-tank missile, there was no sign of the fighters.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
That issue became more contentious after the United States agreed in 2020 to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to the Emirates as an incentive to get the country to normalize ties with Israel.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023
South Korea has one of the most powerful conventional militaries in the world, exporting billions of dollars in tanks, missiles and fighter jets to countries all over — Poland, India, the United Arab Emirates.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
Then, in the early 1970s, American intelligence agencies and their allies detected a new aircraft in the Soviet arsenal: an enormous fighter, capable of flying miles above the earth, several times faster than sound.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
See More
Wafaa Shurafa, arkansasonline.com, 1 Dec. 2023
Hospitals have been shelled, airstrikes have pummeled residential neighborhoods and ravenous fighters have raped, kidnapped and killed countless civilians.
—Katharine Houreld, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
The idea is reminiscent of the U.S.-brokered deal that allowed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and thousands of fighters to flee Beirut during Israel’s 1982 siege of the Lebanese capital.
—Dion Nissenbaum, WSJ, 30 Nov. 2023
Benjamin said many of the Hamas fighters are orphans due to Israeli attacks.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner, 30 Nov. 2023
While Russia reportedly delivered Iran millions of dollars in cash and purportedly captured Western weaponry Tehran could reverse-engineer, such as Javelin anti-tank missile, there was no sign of the fighters.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
That issue became more contentious after the United States agreed in 2020 to sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to the Emirates as an incentive to get the country to normalize ties with Israel.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2023
South Korea has one of the most powerful conventional militaries in the world, exporting billions of dollars in tanks, missiles and fighter jets to countries all over — Poland, India, the United Arab Emirates.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2023
Then, in the early 1970s, American intelligence agencies and their allies detected a new aircraft in the Soviet arsenal: an enormous fighter, capable of flying miles above the earth, several times faster than sound.
—Clay Risen, New York Times, 18 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fighter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of fighter was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing fighter
Dictionary Entries Near fighter
Cite this Entry
“Fighter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fighter. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
fighter
noun
fight·er
ˈfīt-ər 
: one that fights:
b
c
: a fast airplane armed with weapons for destroying enemy aircraft
More from Merriam-Webster on fighter
Nglish: Translation of fighter for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of fighter for Arabic Speakers
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