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
The bitter standoff has been the most high-profile of the year, given the scale of the combatants and the timing of it in the middle of football season.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
But despite the lack of Fall Classic combatants, there were plenty of intriguing elements to the awards, which honored 20 players from the National and American leagues.
—Alex Valdes, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Above the surface, the navy has 122 surface combatants, which include 11 aircraft carriers, 11 cruisers and 74 destroyers.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Across the world, for all military battles where such data is available, the average army kills nine enemy non-combatants for every fighter killed.
—Oded J K Faran, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Under the law, unarmed combatants held in military custody are allowed to protest their detention in court.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2025
The combatants supposedly have a $2 million side bet.
—Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2025
But despite the lack of Fall Classic combatants, there were plenty of intriguing elements to the awards, which honored 20 players from the National and American leagues.
—Alex Valdes, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 29 Oct. 2025
Above the surface, the navy has 122 surface combatants, which include 11 aircraft carriers, 11 cruisers and 74 destroyers.
—Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Across the world, for all military battles where such data is available, the average army kills nine enemy non-combatants for every fighter killed.
—Oded J K Faran, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Under the law, unarmed combatants held in military custody are allowed to protest their detention in court.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2025
The combatants supposedly have a $2 million side bet.
—Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025
In Israel's ensuing offensive, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half the deaths were women and children.
—Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatants
Noun
-
Among the deceased were colonels, lieutenants, majors and captains and some reserve soldiers, ranging in age from 26 to 60, The Associated Press reported.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
-
And those soldiers will come from Connecticut and the other 49 states and the territories and the district.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
State troopers were on scene while the power lines were cleared from the roadway.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Nov. 2025
-
But the troopers’ senses told them a different story.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The civil war in Yemen, on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula and bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians.—
Fatma Khaled,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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Over 100 fighters have already registered for the combine, which combines athletic testing, live entertainment and fan engagement.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The fact that this extremely complex and grueling mission was successfully executed with so few injuries is a testament to the expertise of our joint warriors.—
January 8,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Loyalty, even in the face of death Two thousand years later, and half a world away, the samurai warriors of Japan also famously focused on honor.—
Kenneth Andrew Andres Leonardo,
The Conversation,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combatants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatants. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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