as in soldier
a person, group, or country that fights in a war or battle
Britain was a major combatant in World War II.
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Recent Examples of combatant
Growing evidence shows regional powers like the United Arab Emirates backing combatants behind the scenes.
—
Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The footage featured a massive robot fighting what appeared to be another massive robot, though the second combatant could have been an alien or a mechanical monster, or something.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026
The Evil Dead is of course the horror comedy franchise created by Raimi, going back to 1981’s same-name film starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, a combatant of various supernatural entities.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Growing evidence shows regional powers like the United Arab Emirates backing combatants behind the scenes.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2026
The footage featured a massive robot fighting what appeared to be another massive robot, though the second combatant could have been an alien or a mechanical monster, or something.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026
The Evil Dead is of course the horror comedy franchise created by Raimi, going back to 1981’s same-name film starring Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, a combatant of various supernatural entities.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Growing evidence shows regional powers like the United Arab Emirates backing combatants behind the scenes.
—ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
Noun
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In the past few years, Russia, at an enormous cost to its own forces, made steady advances on the battlefield (most estimates suggest more than a million Russian soldiers have been killed or injured since the start of the conflict).—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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At least 17 Israeli soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon, according to the country's military.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Noun
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Larson is already framing the battle as a fighter with a background in public schools and public housing versus an Ivy League graduate and Rhodes Scholar who grew up in Greenwich – one of the richest towns in the nation.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Cole Young, a MMA fighter and the last living descendant of the legendary warrior Hanzo Hasashi, was introduced as the would-be savior of Earthrealm.—
James Grebey,
Vulture,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Sonja Shaw, 43, the school board president of Chino Valley Unified, has achieved a public profile as a MAGA culture warrior.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
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From exile in Amsterdam, filmmaker Dawood Hilmandi reflects on his family nickname, Paikar, the Persian word for warrior.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Once troopers arrived, Williams raised the firearm and pointed it toward police before Blanchette shot and killed her, the report said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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Authorities said a Massachusetts State Police trooper and an armed civilian — described as a former Marine licensed to carry — confronted the suspect as people fled their vehicles and sought cover.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatant. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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