1
as in to fight
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
a general eager to combat the enemy on his own ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to oppose
to strive to reduce or eliminate
must marshal all of our resources to combat this disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in field
active fighting during the course of a war
a soldier who served throughout the war without actually seeing combat
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in skirmish
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
the two stags entered a furious combat for dominance of the herd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in battle
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the fierce ideological combat between the religionists and the secularists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of combat
Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Two engines and one hand crew will continue to combat the blaze.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Luis Martinez, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
Deadpool loses a limb in combat?
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combat
Verb
In addition to combating the tush push on Sunday, Denver will also face its former head coach, Vic Fangio, the Eagles’ defensive coordinator.
—Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Two engines and one hand crew will continue to combat the blaze.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
If personnel are assigned to a combat role, one of their two tests will be a combat field test with standards determined by their service while wearing equipment.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
Deadpool loses a limb in combat?
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combat
Verb
-
Similarly to their meeting last year, Georgia trailed early and managed to fight its way back.—
Hunter Simpson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
But instead of fighting my body and losing, now my body and I fight together against our enemy, anxiety.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Put differently, opposing receivers have recorded the second-least fantasy points on the Panthers in 2025.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
-
One of the defendants, Benjamin Song — a 32-year-old former Marine Corps reservist who associates described to authorities as a cult-like ringleader who opposes the government on immigration enforcement and on other matters — shot Alvarado Police Department Lt.—
Emerson Clarridge,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the third quarter, FIU center Julius Pierce limped off the field with a leg injury.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Guerrero, in the first inning, connected for a towering fly ball to left field.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These issues are not unique to the WNBA, as its affiliate league, the NBA, has weathered refereeing controversies and skirmishes over player pay for years.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Each new development is underscored by a lingering discomfort about the racial dynamics of the skirmish and about Maja taking action where Nourou might have wanted to leave the whole thing be.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For Democrats, the battle marked a defining moment to demonstrate unity after earlier funding fights in which they were accused of caving to Republican demands.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
1 Oct. 2025
-
That was really the battle, less than the gut.—
H. Alan Scott,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The confirmation of drones over Germany comes as NATO's Denmark investigates a wave of drone disruption to its airports that officials have characterized as a hybrid attack, and coincides with Estonian, Polish, and Romanian accusations against Russia of serious airspace incursions.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Overseas activists have tried to deliver aid in the past to Gaza but have either been intercepted by Israeli forces or come under some form of attack.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Blame Mercury’s clash with Chiron!—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Previous attempts by activist flotillas to break the blockade have largely failed and sometimes sparked deadly clashes, including during the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla raid.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Since the 1960s, a total of 18 Metro Nashville Public Schools have closed, and some very heated football rivalries ended with those closings.—
Mike Organ,
Nashville Tennessean,
29 Sep. 2025
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But there’s no question that these tools are transforming the job experience for many tech workers amid an intense rivalry between leading AI companies to make the best one.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combat. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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