1
as in fights
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict
a general eager to combat the enemy on his own ground
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposes
to strive to reduce or eliminate
must marshal all of our resources to combat this disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in actions
active fighting during the course of a war
a soldier who served throughout the war without actually seeing combat
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in skirmishes
a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups
the two stags entered a furious combat for dominance of the herd
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in battles
an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another
the fierce ideological combat between the religionists and the secularists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 combats
Christopher Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Last Gift Study, launched in 2017, combats that issue by conducting an autopsy immediately after a patient’s death.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Fit was prioritized on the upper, which combats wrinkles at the toe box and hosts a better lacing system and a new heel sling.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Dec. 2025
Jasmine Crowe-Houston is the founder of Goodr, an organization that regularly combats food waste by collaborating with businesses, foundations, governments, and sports teams to provide high-quality food to local communities.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 31 Oct. 2025
Nourish Up, an organization that combats hunger in Mecklenburg County through food banks, grocery delivery and the meals on wheels program, served 164,000 people in 2024 alone.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2025
The Joint Terrorism Task Force is a federal law enforcement organization that combats both domestic and international terrorism.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Becca Israel, director of the Nexus Project, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and promotes democracy, said the administration's actions send conflicting messages.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
Lately Rigel has seen big sales increases for a few of its drugs, notably Tavelisse, which combats a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own blood platelets.
—John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
This combats dynamic pricing based on your search history, which could lead to higher fares.
—Christopher Elliott, Dallas Morning News, 28 Jan. 2026
The Last Gift Study, launched in 2017, combats that issue by conducting an autopsy immediately after a patient’s death.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Dec. 2025
Fit was prioritized on the upper, which combats wrinkles at the toe box and hosts a better lacing system and a new heel sling.
—Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 5 Dec. 2025
Jasmine Crowe-Houston is the founder of Goodr, an organization that regularly combats food waste by collaborating with businesses, foundations, governments, and sports teams to provide high-quality food to local communities.
—Ronny Maye, Essence, 31 Oct. 2025
Nourish Up, an organization that combats hunger in Mecklenburg County through food banks, grocery delivery and the meals on wheels program, served 164,000 people in 2024 alone.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2025
The Joint Terrorism Task Force is a federal law enforcement organization that combats both domestic and international terrorism.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Becca Israel, director of the Nexus Project, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and promotes democracy, said the administration's actions send conflicting messages.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
Lately Rigel has seen big sales increases for a few of its drugs, notably Tavelisse, which combats a condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own blood platelets.
—John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Noun
This proactive boundary setting manages stakeholder expectations, combats scope creep and forces ruthless focus on the absolute core, driving true agility over bloat.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combats
Verb
-
These are intriguing threads Disco almost fights.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
-
As the war enters its next phase, the side with the deeper arsenal may ultimately determine who fights till the end.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
China, top Iran oil buyer, opposes war Smoke rises from Israeli bombardment on the southern Lebanese village of Khiam on March 4, 2026.—
Kevin Breuninger,Sam Meredith,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Progressive groups are vowing to mount challenges from the left to any lawmaker who opposes the war powers vote, Axios reported.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The research focused on helping Valkyrie adapt to changing conditions, traverse uneven terrain, and quickly connect visual information with physical actions for real-world robotic operations.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
And also for Iran itself, where the regime is apparently still in charge of the armed forces even with the successful actions by the Israelis and the Americans.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The two also got into multiple skirmishes back in December during a recent Lakers-Suns game, including James knocking down Brooks after some contact from the NBA's all-time leading scorer.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Enrigue’s novel is inspired by the long-running Apache Wars of the 19th century, a series of brutal skirmishes between various Apache bands and the armies of the United States and Mexico.—
Carolina A. Miranda,
The Atlantic,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Comfort battles formality fighting to break free.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
For example, one recent night, the room between Cardboard Corner Café and TableTop was set up for Warhammer, where enthusiasts collect, build, and paint miniatures, and fight strategic tabletop battles.—
Debra Skodack,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, saw more of its fields under attack over the weekend.—
Christine Burke,
Bloomberg,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Our college students will not have the opportunity to be taught by the best and brightest in some very important and sophisticated fields.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The train, which was originally slated to open in 2023, has faced significant delays caused by clashes between the airport and contractor, LAX Integrated Express Solutions, over timeline, compensation and production.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were arrested in connection with the device at Saturday’s chaotic rally, which saw clashes between Lang and counterprotesters outside the Upper East Side mayoral residence of Mayor Mamdani.—
Rocco Parascandola,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With the renewal secured, viewers can look forward to more high-stakes deals, intense rivalries, complicated relationships that have made the show such a standout.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Watch the All Elite Wrestling show with diverse male and female wrestlers and epic rivalries.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combats. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
