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
Wala said that framing enables the government to treat migrants and asylum seekers as enemy combatants.
—
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Russian and Ukrainian drones have been known to go off course during long-range strikes due to electronic warfare measures employed by the combatants.
—Will Gretsky, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
Its data did not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants beyond saying that women and children make up around half the dead.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
Those include recognition of Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, meaningful political participation and effective reintegration for ex-combatants.
—Alpaslan Ozerdem, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025
Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
In southern Kherson province, five more non-combatants lost their lives, and 47 others were wounded.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
In a context where representations of the war in the DRC are rare, the film offers a new perspective on this conflict, shedding light on the resilience of former combatants who are now rebuilding their lives in Goma, a city still scarred and shaken by war.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
Russian and Ukrainian drones have been known to go off course during long-range strikes due to electronic warfare measures employed by the combatants.
—Will Gretsky, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
Its data did not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants beyond saying that women and children make up around half the dead.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
Those include recognition of Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights, meaningful political participation and effective reintegration for ex-combatants.
—Alpaslan Ozerdem, The Conversation, 2 Sep. 2025
Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
In southern Kherson province, five more non-combatants lost their lives, and 47 others were wounded.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
In a context where representations of the war in the DRC are rare, the film offers a new perspective on this conflict, shedding light on the resilience of former combatants who are now rebuilding their lives in Goma, a city still scarred and shaken by war.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatants
Noun
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Nail polish is not allowed for male soldiers, and clear polish is accepted for female soldiers.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
The company is also pushing out battlefield-ready tools designed for everyday use by soldiers.—
David Kirichenko,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Remembering Delgado-Garcia was a primary theme of last year’s MSP recruit graduation ceremony, which saw his recruiting class become sworn in as troopers.—
Flint McColgan,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
-
In February, state troopers violently broke up a march for suffrage, resulting in the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a church deacon protecting his family.—
Time,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Samurai Troopers dealt with the return of Arago and his Empire of Doom, but five young warriors with mystical Yoroi Gear armor stand against Arago’s conquest.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The manosphere — a movement encompassing hypermasculinity, male supremacy, misogyny and traditional gender roles and driven by podcasters, bloggers and social media warriors — has become increasingly mainstream.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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According to Joe Truzman, a senior analyst with the FDD, the Arrow Unit’s membership is drawn from multiple sources in Gaza, including police officers, operatives belonging to the Ministry of Interior’s security branches, fighters belonging to terrorist factions, and civilian volunteers.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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The joint exercise brought together the Air Force’s 53rd Wing, a US B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, and Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35 fighters and personnel.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combatants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatants. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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