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
Devon Henderson, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Such weapons were designed to combat rioters and soldiers, and their compounds are toxic, especially to children, who breathe more rapidly than adults relative to their body weight.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 27 May 2026
USA Today, 28 May 2026
Picture show Martial arts coach Mirella Atallah is using combat sports to empower women in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for combat
Verb
To combat this, the MSG family of companies announced Wednesday an initiative through its partner, Garden of Dreams Foundation, to give away 250 free tickets for each of Games 3 and 4 to underprivileged youth throughout New York City.
—Devon Henderson, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Such weapons were designed to combat rioters and soldiers, and their compounds are toxic, especially to children, who breathe more rapidly than adults relative to their body weight.
—Lisa Song, ProPublica, 27 May 2026
Noun
There's also Gunfight maps, with various numbers of competitors, and several Big War maps for vehicle and infantry combat.
—USA Today, 28 May 2026
Picture show Martial arts coach Mirella Atallah is using combat sports to empower women in a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for combat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combat
Verb
-
While Hulst tried to fight his way through traffic, Serna was in unfamiliar territory.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Aspiring journalist Lily’s camera was recording when the OPEF Marines invaded and began killing both Marsies and the Peacekeepers force that was actually aligned with the Marines and fighting against the Marsies.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The coalition opposing the bill, which includes firms with a financial stake in the outcome, has published constituent letters making the human case against reform.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
The poll found the majority of Republicans, 52%, and a plurality of MAGA supporters, 45%, oppose the controversial fund set up by the Justice Department to pay people who believe they’ve been victimized by the government.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Demuth led the field through four ballots, but after Lindell failed to advance to the fifth ballot, Qualls took the lead and the number of votes cast fell.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
-
On the opposite side of the field, Wilson and Rodríguez stood near the first-base dugout alongside Rays mascots.—
Chantz Martin OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Thankfully, none of these skirmishes affects the guests’ satisfaction with the trip.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
26 May 2026
-
One skirmish occurred in May 2021, when members of Moms for Liberty (M4L) began to target school board meetings in Williamson County, Tennessee.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
On May 18, two armed teenagers entered the Islamic Center of San Diego, killing an armed security guard in a gun battle, then fatally shooting two men cornered in the parking lot, police said.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
-
Staal made it 2-0 a minute and change later by winning a big boy net-front battle with Josh Anderson to pound in his second of the playoffs and continue his line’s dominance over the Canadiens.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Each one would need to stock more interceptors and operate with escort ships to fend off attacks.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
The first-half diagnosis The strangest part of San Diego’s sophomore season is that the attack has not collapsed.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
With simple syrup the clash of the liqueurs is too sharp, the flavor equivalent of swords clanging together.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
30 May 2026
-
The ruling is the latest high-profile clash between Williams and Republican officials.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Clash in Italy will be one of the biggest premium live events for WWE in the wake of WrestleMania 42, featuring four title matches and a rivalry renewed.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
-
These two had a strong match at Full Gear 2025, and on a stage as large as Wembley Stadium, there is plenty of reason to revisit the rivalry.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combat. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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