Definition of combinenext
1
as in cartel
a number of businesses or enterprises united for commercial advantage charged that the cable companies had formed an illegal combine for the purpose of keeping rates artificially high

Synonyms & Similar Words

2

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb combine differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of combine are associate, connect, join, link, relate, and unite. While all these words mean "to bring or come together into some manner of union," combine implies some merging or mingling with corresponding loss of identity of each unit.

combined jazz and rock to create a new music

When would associate be a good substitute for combine?

The meanings of associate and combine largely overlap; however, associate stresses the mere fact of frequent occurrence or existence together in space or in logical relation.

opera is popularly associated with high society

When is it sensible to use connect instead of combine?

While in some cases nearly identical to combine, connect suggests a loose or external attachment with little or no loss of identity.

a mutual defense treaty connected the two nations

When might join be a better fit than combine?

Although the words join and combine have much in common, join implies a bringing into contact or conjunction of any degree of closeness.

joined forces in an effort to win

In what contexts can link take the place of combine?

The synonyms link and combine are sometimes interchangeable, but link may imply strong connection or inseparability of elements still retaining identity.

a name forever linked with liberty

When can relate be used instead of combine?

The words relate and combine can be used in similar contexts, but relate suggests the existence of a real or presumed logical connection.

related what he observed to what he already knew

When is unite a more appropriate choice than combine?

The words unite and combine are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, unite implies somewhat greater loss of separate identity.

the colonies united to form a republic

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 combine
Verb
There are plenty of super-talented people, but combining talent with great character is the foundation of a great culture. Fortune Editors, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 This perfume combines the quintessential summer fruit with tonka bean, florals, plum nectar, and apple blossom for a truly memorable, sweet but not overly saccharine finish. Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
Rosters were filled for the Summit Bowl after a combine June 6. Cal Phillips july 13, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 July 2026 Lowrance hit it off with the Dodgers’ front office in June at the draft combine in Phoenix. Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for combine
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combine
Verb
  • Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services found 12 categories of abuse and neglect of the Gray children connected to Marcee, including inadequate food, shelter and medical care, director Candice Broce said in court.
    Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Voters now connect it to jobs, schools, fraud, electricity bills, privacy, children and democracy.
    Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Plant it in loose, fast-draining soil mixed with perlite, pumice, or orchid bark, or a combination of all, to keep the roots from rotting.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Then add a very small amount of your foundation or concealer of choice and mix them together in the palm of your hand or on a palette.
    Audrey Noble, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The killing sparked nationwide unrest, with cartel members erecting highway blockades and setting fire to vehicles and buildings across 20 Mexican states.
    CBS News, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • His ability to make bodies disappear brings him opportunities and peril as circumstances lead to employment by a cartel operator.
    Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • The album’s mood is evocative of a hot summer’s day; the combination of live-wire drum breaks and breezy keys suggests the feeling of dipping your toes in the ocean when the temperature outside is pushing 90.
    Rae-Aila Crumble, Pitchfork, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Today, various combinations are packed into cardboard spheres or cylinders—shells—along with fuses coated in a flammable slurry, then sealed inside kraft paper and shot from fibreglass mortars.
    Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Kemp and Jackson united at the Georgia Chamber’s annual congressional luncheon for the first time since Jackson’s party-rattling primary win.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Right’s multiculturalism Meanwhile, the American right was increasingly united less by biological notions of race and more by opposition to multiculturalism, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and liberalism.
    Eladio Bobadilla, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Its textured facade will support soil, water, plants, and wildlife, extending the existing riverside park vertically, while multiple windows and external staircases are integrated into the rock-like forms.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The platform’s reactor technologies and catalysts are integrated with software that can adjust operations around intermittent renewable power.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Criminal syndicates operating throughout Asia use cryptocurrency to facilitate massive online fraud operations targeting victims around the world.
    Mitchell Silber, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Every woman, child, and man alive was out here grinding all day every day except on Lincoln’s Birthday in death-trap packing plants controlled by a five-man syndicate called the Beef Trust.
    Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • One of them is Antonio Maíllo, general coordinator of Izquierda Unida, one of the political parties forming a government coalition with Sánchez's Socialist Party.
    Miguel Macias, NPR, 1 Aug. 2026
  • That coalition mattered because FIFA’s political strength has traditionally rested on balancing competing continental interests.
    Clemente Lisi, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Combine.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combine. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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