as in soldiers
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 combatants
There was a tumultuous battle between the combatants but alas, the giant scorpion fatally bit Artemis’ boyfriend.
—
Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Of course, military operations often have to be kept under wraps to protect combatants and keep enemies off the scent.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
As the name suggests, attack subs are designed to hunt and destroy other submarines, surface combatants (warships) and, if necessary, commercial vessels.
—James Dwyer, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The administration has failed to provide any evidence that the people killed in the attacks were attempting to bring drugs into the country, and legal experts have taken umbrage at the assertion that drug traffickers can be considered armed combatants.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Some of those combatants say they were lured to Mexico under false pretenses and forced to fight.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Warner Bros’ awards-season combatants Sinners and One Battle After Another and Netflix’s toon phenom KPop Demon Hunters took the top film prizes at 2026 annual ACE Eddie Awards, which were handed out Friday night at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2026
And China already possesses the world’s-largest fleet of destroyers, frigates and surface combatants.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Friday night’s combatants had spent the last two hours no more than yards apart.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Of course, military operations often have to be kept under wraps to protect combatants and keep enemies off the scent.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
As the name suggests, attack subs are designed to hunt and destroy other submarines, surface combatants (warships) and, if necessary, commercial vessels.
—James Dwyer, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
The administration has failed to provide any evidence that the people killed in the attacks were attempting to bring drugs into the country, and legal experts have taken umbrage at the assertion that drug traffickers can be considered armed combatants.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026
Some of those combatants say they were lured to Mexico under false pretenses and forced to fight.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
Warner Bros’ awards-season combatants Sinners and One Battle After Another and Netflix’s toon phenom KPop Demon Hunters took the top film prizes at 2026 annual ACE Eddie Awards, which were handed out Friday night at UCLA’s Royce Hall.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 27 Feb. 2026
And China already possesses the world’s-largest fleet of destroyers, frigates and surface combatants.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 Feb. 2026
Friday night’s combatants had spent the last two hours no more than yards apart.
—Matt Slater, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatants
Noun
-
Arad's wife urged Israel's leaders not to endanger the lives of Israeli soldiers in their search to bring home his body.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Mar. 2026
-
And on Friday, eight Israeli soldiers were wounded by Hezbollah fire, according to the Israel Defense Forces.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Inside Resecker's truck, Texas Highway Patrol troopers found THC wax and marijuana.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
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These guys are the real troopers coming in from hour, hour and a half walks.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
There are cash shortages, and the salaries for civil servants haven’t been paid out, even for many Houthi fighters.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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The price spike will challenge the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve and could slow consumer spending, which drives two-thirds of the nation’s economic growth.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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God bless you, to our incredible warriors, and God bless the United States of America.—
Jordan Freiman,
CBS News,
1 Mar. 2026
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The jacket features a funnel neck and dual-zip closure, while the skirt incorporates biodegradable corozo fasteners and paneling inspired by the armor traditions of Indian warriors.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combatants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatants. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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