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
During the Civil War, Gettysburg and other engagements resulted in a higher percentage of casualties among combatants.
—
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
The number does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The ministry, however, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its statistics.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The tally doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
The health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said more than half of fatalities are women and children.
—Melanie Lidman and Waafa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
War in Europe has exhausted the combatants, but with Russia’s weakness on display, there are some hopeful glimmers of a settlement Ukrainians can abide.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 20 Dec. 2024
The Gaza health ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but reports that over half of the casualties are women and children.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 24 Dec. 2024
The number does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The ministry, however, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its statistics.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The tally doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2024
The health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said more than half of fatalities are women and children.
—Melanie Lidman and Waafa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024
War in Europe has exhausted the combatants, but with Russia’s weakness on display, there are some hopeful glimmers of a settlement Ukrainians can abide.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 20 Dec. 2024
The Gaza health ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but reports that over half of the casualties are women and children.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
The figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatants
Noun
-
When Jordan sealed its border in 2016 after an ISIS attack killed six Jordanian soldiers, most of the Syrian civilians were trapped — unable to move forward or go back through roads controlled by the Syrian regime or even move through a desert laid with land mines.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
24 Dec. 2024
-
American, British and other Allied soldiers were much more likely to improvise and continue fighting after officers went down.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The pursuit ended when troopers performed a tactical vehicle intervention on the truck.—
Daniel McFadin,
arkansasonline.com,
20 Dec. 2024
-
The footage was provided to troopers as part of the investigation.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
20 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
But by the end of the Neolithic Age, with a world population of 100 million, the stakes were much higher, requiring more than a few warriors as well as strong leaders to subdue, even enslave, other people.—
John Mariani,
Forbes,
27 Dec. 2024
-
The first film recounts the Battle of Thermopylae during the Greco-Persian Wars, where King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) of Sparta leads 300 of his finest warriors against the massive Persian army commanded by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro).—
Travis Bean,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
This year, eight fighters (and two alternates) have been seeded in a tournament bracket, with the winners moving on to the next round.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
In the past, fighters earned points in two regular-season bouts, with the highest point earners moving onto the playoffs.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combatants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatants. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share