as in soldiers
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 combatants
The rules called for the combatants to square off with just eight paces between them — rather than the 20 or 30 paces typical of the time — and both men hit their targets.
—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
30 June 2026
Advertisement The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that over 1,700 Hezbollah combatants died during operations in Lebanon.
—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
21 June 2026
But the combatants kept grasping and tugging each other off-balance.
—
Bob Brody,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
The combatants have now renewed their fragile truce, which has repeatedly threatened US-Iran negotiations.
—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
—
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Unmanned systems already outnumber human combatants in active zones like Ukraine, where tens of thousands of drones and autonomous platforms are deployed.
—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Having faced considerable losses already and staring down more to come, many of the prominent combatants spend Season 3 in an existential crisis, which lends the series a similar atmosphere.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
Trump had been touting the emerging deal for weeks and the continuing conflict threatened to overshadow the UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants inside a wire-mesh Octagon tried to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission.
—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
30 June 2026
Advertisement The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that over 1,700 Hezbollah combatants died during operations in Lebanon.
—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
21 June 2026
But the combatants kept grasping and tugging each other off-balance.
—
Bob Brody,
New York Daily News,
21 June 2026
The combatants have now renewed their fragile truce, which has repeatedly threatened US-Iran negotiations.
—
Caitlin Danaher,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
—
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2026
Unmanned systems already outnumber human combatants in active zones like Ukraine, where tens of thousands of drones and autonomous platforms are deployed.
—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 June 2026
Having faced considerable losses already and staring down more to come, many of the prominent combatants spend Season 3 in an existential crisis, which lends the series a similar atmosphere.
—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
15 June 2026
Trump had been touting the emerging deal for weeks and the continuing conflict threatened to overshadow the UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants inside a wire-mesh Octagon tried to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission.
—
Will Weissert,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatants
Noun
-
The remains of two Army soldiers who went missing while off duty from military exercises in Morocco were recovered in May, according to the Army.
-
The soldiers went missing on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area near the city of Tan Tan in southwestern Morocco, USA TODAY previously reported.
Noun
-
Jennifer said the troopers then asked to see the entire family's documentation.
-
Because of a language barrier, troopers needed a passerby to help translate Spanish to English, the warrant affidavit said.
Noun
-
Some of the young fighters and their coach spoke with CBS News Chicago about the impact the program has inside and outside the ring.
-
Though Hezbollah has largely been more effective this year than in the 2024 conflict, the recent fighting in Lebanon was just as imbalanced as two years ago, with thousands of Hezbollah fighters being killed at the cost of a few dozen Israeli military troops.
Noun
-
And perhaps the most famous statues in that distinctive style that Latchford stole from Koh Ker were nine stone warriors once arranged together in a battle scene.
-
Uzbek fans have reveled in the chance to showcase their country and culture, staying behind long after the matches ended to pose for photos as steppe warriors, give away the country's ubiquitous embroidered duppy skullcaps, or just joyously dance to drums.
Cite this Entry
“Combatants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatants. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
