as in soldier
a person, group, or country that fights in a war or battle
Britain was a major combatant in World War II.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of combatant
The rapid reconfiguration suggests the ship has shifted roles in a matter of days, from an arsenal-style surface combatant to what appears to be a multi-role drone carrier, The War Zone reported.
—
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 2 Jan. 2026
The Navy's Zumwalt‑class destroyers — the largest surface combatants currently at 15,000 tons — were reduced from 32 to three ships due to spiraling costs.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
The biggest surface combatants in the US Navy fleet now are the Zumwalt destroyers, which displace 15,000 tons.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Collins says there is no way the Israelis could have confused them with combatants.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 2 Jan. 2026
The Navy's Zumwalt‑class destroyers — the largest surface combatants currently at 15,000 tons — were reduced from 32 to three ships due to spiraling costs.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025
The biggest surface combatants in the US Navy fleet now are the Zumwalt destroyers, which displace 15,000 tons.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Collins says there is no way the Israelis could have confused them with combatants.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
Noun
-
Earlier this year, the Israeli military retrieved the body of another soldier who was killed in the 2014 war.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Just off the Gregory House, a trail leads to the Hammock Landing Battery, where Confederate soldiers guarded the river from attack, protecting their manufacturing hub in Columbus, Georgia.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Estimates placed the number of fighters at roughly 800, with militants reportedly crossing the border under the pretense of religious pilgrimages before gathering at a base in Ahvaz and being dispatched to various regions.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Russia also has invested heavily in Venezuela’s oil industry, as did China, and offered Caracas generous loans to purchase top-of-the-line air defense missiles, fighter jets and other weapons.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Build a Snowman Think beyond your traditional snowman and create your own fairytale version, such as a snow princess or snow warrior using dress-up items your kids already have at home.—
Mia Taylor,
Parents,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Newsom has also taken his happy-if-bitchy-warrior act into hostile territory by appearing on MAGA podcasts.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
When he was pulled over, troopers detected a certain aroma.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The agreement gives state troopers the ability to interrogate anyone believed to be an immigrant, arrest immigrants in certain instances, and transport immigrants to ICE.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatant. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share