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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combat
Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Nov. 2025
Mahmood said the suspect was not known to security services, counter-terror police or the Home Office’s Prevent program, a central plank of Britain’s strategy to combat terrorism.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Karl Vick, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
Caine, who has been serving as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since April, has flown more than 2,800 hours as an F-16 jet pilot, including over 150 combat hours.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combat
Verb
Crime has been a central issue in the campaign, with Bowman criticizing the city's safety and Pureval highlighting measures to combat it.
—Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Nov. 2025
Mahmood said the suspect was not known to security services, counter-terror police or the Home Office’s Prevent program, a central plank of Britain’s strategy to combat terrorism.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Noun
But the public first knew Cheney as, along with Joint Chiefs Chairman Colin Powell, the quietly confident, visibly competent public face of the 1990-91 Gulf War that ejected Iraqi troops from Kuwait (and the gates of Saudi Arabia) in just 100 hours of ground combat.
—Karl Vick, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
Caine, who has been serving as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff since April, has flown more than 2,800 hours as an F-16 jet pilot, including over 150 combat hours.
—Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combat
Verb
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Barton gave the jury the impression of a man prepared to go into daily combat on numerous fronts, constantly fighting one battle after another, in service of his principles.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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Players fought, fought, fought, gave us every chance in the world.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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How many voters supported, opposed Measure G In Nevada County, the largest portion of the library district, voters supported Measure G with by a 7-to-3 margin.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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Her sentiments seemed to oppose the ongoing family drama amid reports of tension within her extended family, including her son Brooklyn and his wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Fears shot 0 of 7 from the field, scoring four points on six free-throw attempts, but tallied nine assists.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Nebraska tied the game with an extra point after Missouri students rushed the field, celebrating an apparent victory.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
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David Wolf, the executive director of the Legacy of the Plains Museum in Scottsbluff, said experts estimate that as many 10 people died for every mile of the trail ‒ perhaps as many as 20,000 travelers, plus an unknown number of Native Americans killed during skirmishes.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
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The skirmish brought players from both teams out of the dugouts and out of the bullpens.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The Davidson Wildcats’ men’s basketball team hunted the three-ball early and often in the 40th edition of the battle for the Hornets’ Nest, connecting frequently on the way to a 62-55 victory over the Charlotte 49ers on Tuesday night.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Nov. 2025
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In a battle of NFC behemoths, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles (7-2) escaped Green Bay with a 10-7 win.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
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All three nuclear powers have established their own nuclear triad, consisting of ICBMs, submarines armed with ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft, which ensure their forces can survive a first strike and retaliate, thereby deterring a nuclear attack.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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But in the final weeks of the race, both campaigns traded personal attacks.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Much of this strife, including throughout the 1967-1970 civil war and subsequent clashes over the decades, has also been closely tied to feuds across ethnic and territorial lines.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Pfizer and Novo Nordisk are in a takeover clash over the obesity biotech Metsera, with both pharmaceutical giants raising their bids for the startup as of Monday.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In recent decades, Thailand and Cambodia have had a complicated relationship of both cooperation and rivalry.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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The Fighting Irish have absolutely dominated the rivalry in recent years, taking down the Panthers with a 58-7 final score in 2023 and a 45-3 final score in 2020.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combat. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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