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
Israel's ensuing offensive in Gaza has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, including combatants and civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
—
CBS News, 7 June 2026
Israel’s ensuing offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, including combatants and civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
While the announcement may appear to focus on a single industrial component, the AG9160RF plays a critical role aboard some of the Navy’s most advanced surface combatants.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
The service was also facing the retirement of older, larger ships and was looking for ways to maintain its fleet size with smaller surface combatants that could be built more quickly and cheaply than bigger vessels, the report said.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
In a society traumatized by the violence of the last 70 years, the new president came to power seeking to resume the path established by the 2016 peace agreement, in which about 13,000 FARC combatants and sympathizers exchanged armed struggle for amnesty and state protection.
—Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026
Responding to Toboso According to officials, all of those killed in a series of clashes were combatants of the NPA, a Maoist guerrilla group that seeks to seize political power from Manila.
—Patrick Peralta, The Conversation, 28 May 2026
The gender of female combatants was discovered only when they were wounded or killed.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
In experiments inspired by drone warfare, his team asked participants to categorize images as civilians or enemy combatants and to choose whether to fire a missile at each potential target.
—Steven Melendez, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
CBS News, 7 June 2026
Israel’s ensuing offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, including combatants and civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2026
While the announcement may appear to focus on a single industrial component, the AG9160RF plays a critical role aboard some of the Navy’s most advanced surface combatants.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 1 June 2026
The service was also facing the retirement of older, larger ships and was looking for ways to maintain its fleet size with smaller surface combatants that could be built more quickly and cheaply than bigger vessels, the report said.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
In a society traumatized by the violence of the last 70 years, the new president came to power seeking to resume the path established by the 2016 peace agreement, in which about 13,000 FARC combatants and sympathizers exchanged armed struggle for amnesty and state protection.
—Roberto Andrés, The Dial, 28 May 2026
Responding to Toboso According to officials, all of those killed in a series of clashes were combatants of the NPA, a Maoist guerrilla group that seeks to seize political power from Manila.
—Patrick Peralta, The Conversation, 28 May 2026
The gender of female combatants was discovered only when they were wounded or killed.
—Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
In experiments inspired by drone warfare, his team asked participants to categorize images as civilians or enemy combatants and to choose whether to fire a missile at each potential target.
—Steven Melendez, Scientific American, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatants
Noun
-
Two Israeli soldiers were killed in separate incidents, according to their military.—
Dalia Abdelwahab,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
-
Strikers viewed militiamen and soldiers as strikebreakers, and with the arrival of troops in Chicago, the violence escalated dramatically, as did civilian deaths.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
An investigation revealed the 14-year-old driver lost control of the Lexus, ran off the road and flipped near the intersection of Moccasin Creek Road and Deep Water Trail, troopers say.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
-
On June 8, troopers responded to a possible robbery in Oregon Township in Lapeer County.—
Joseph Buczek,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Federal agents training alongside UFC fighters, a title contender working out inside FBI headquarters and a UFC event on White House grounds would have sounded like satire just a few years ago.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
-
As violent as these bouts get, fighters agree to honor the rules, even mid-pummeling.—
Bhumika Tharoor,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
This is also the time the warriors against mosquitoes in Miami-Dade and Broward go on high alert.—
Amaia Gavica,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
No one wanted to stand behind the commanding warriors, draped in blankets and furs, brass hoops in their earlobes, medals and wampum on their strong chests, silver armbands glinting in the light.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combatants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatants. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
