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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combatant
Medical facilities often come under fire in wars, but combatants usually depict such incidents as accidental or exceptional, since hospitals enjoy special protection under international law.
—
Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Joseph Dempsey, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote in a January blog post that Pyongyang has only two principal surface combatants.
—Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Although the president can waive the requirement, the chairman is supposed to have previously served as vice chairman, as chief of one of the branches of the armed forces, or as a combatant commander, which Caine has not.
—Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
Israel's offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed in strikes since a ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Samy Magdy, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
Joseph Dempsey, an analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, wrote in a January blog post that Pyongyang has only two principal surface combatants.
—Gawon Bae, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
Although the president can waive the requirement, the chairman is supposed to have previously served as vice chairman, as chief of one of the branches of the armed forces, or as a combatant commander, which Caine has not.
—Risa Brooks, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2025
Israel's offensive has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed in strikes since a ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
Noun
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Just outside our car, soldiers beat down the door of a house and piled in.—
Antón Barba-Kay,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2025
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Many of these efforts were a partnership between enlisted soldiers in Unit 8200 and reserve soldiers who work at tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Meta, three people with knowledge of the technologies said.—
Sheera Frenkel,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Fans of horror, science fiction, fantasy, romance and young adult novels will feel right at home, surrounded by book covers illustrating warriors, dragons, monsters and magical lands.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Apr. 2025
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Users can personalize the prompt by describing features, aesthetic or desired theme—such as space explorer, fantasy warrior or tech ninja.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The fighter was an F/A-18 Hornet flying off the Truman.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
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Read more Ukraine Su-27 fighter jet crashes Videos show Delta plane catch on fire on Florida tarmac How many US plane crashes have there been in 2025?—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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That same day, Proctor, the state trooper, was relieved of duty, state police Col. John Mawn announced.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2025
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The agency did not address questions on why the trooper made the arrest despite William’s court order.—
Ana Ceballos,
Miami Herald,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatant. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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