single combat

noun

: combat between two persons

Examples of single combat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Why Bomber Kills Are Undercounted OSINT analyst Andrew Perpetua who analyzes, tabulates and tries to geolocate every single combat video out of Ukraine , believes that the effect of night bombers is being seriously underestimated. David Hambling, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 Ergo, Peter must best the city’s fiercest warrior in single combat, fly and make a bereaved countess laugh for the first time since her brother died in battle. Michael Nordine, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023 The matter might have ended there, but John kept trying to convince Edward to fight him in single combat for the throne. Anne Thériault, Longreads, 21 June 2022 Moments later, Helen learned that Paris had agreed to fight her jilted husband, Menelaus, in single combat, to decide the outcome of the war. Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2022 In the past 18 months, the U.S. has not suffered a single combat casualty there. Mike Pence, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of single combat was in 1585

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Single combat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single%20combat. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on single combat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!