1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

fighters

noun

plural of fighter
1
as in soldiers
a person engaged in military service the debate whether more fighters are needed to bring order to that war-torn country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boxers
one that engages in the sport of fighting with the fists a program at the community center for training local youths as fighters

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in defendants
a person who takes part in a dispute kept the two fighters apart until they had calmed down and could talk sensibly

Synonyms & Similar 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 fighters Jake and Logan Paul are coaching a new generation of fighters. — Peter White, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026 In one Ohio township, fire fighters reported being overwhelmed by the high volume of calls to two local data center campuses. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026 The funds have enabled it to purchase fighters’ loyalties, as well as advanced materiel, such as drones. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 According to three Yemeni military sources, 26 government troops were killed during several hours of fighting in the country's southwest, while medical and military sources from the Houthis said 31 rebel fighters were killed. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2026 At the time, there was no real professional scene for female fighters, with the major promoters not seeing any commercial value in it. — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Mustafa, who was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and fled to Norway as a child, said the film was inspired by his encounter with a female Peshmerga sniper during the 2014 frontline battles, as female Kurdish fighters countered Islamic State attacks. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026 While both cast themselves as fighters against corruption in Washington, Manzur has argued that Pappas has long been beholden to political donors, particularly the pro-Israel lobby. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026 Myers spoke vaguely about winning and losing, while interspersing clips of Ultimate Fighting Championship interviews with fighters after matches. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fighters
  1. soldiers
  2. boxers
  3. defendants
  4. warriors
  5. gladiators
  6. plaintiffs
  7. brawlers
  8. debaters
Noun
  • The United States lost more than 2,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and more than 4,000 in Iraq, and more than 50,000 were wounded between the two conflicts.
    — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • And indeed, if, like Grossman, a correspondent is committed to telling the story of people at war, soldiers are essential actors in any conflict.
    — Nick Holdstock, The Dial, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of soldiers
Noun
  • In April 2022, Serrano and Taylor became the first female boxers to headline the legendary New York venue, and, thanks to the involvement of Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the first to earn over $1m each.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Among the regular participants are active-duty firefighters, lifeguards, professional boxers, National Guard personnel, yoga teachers and locals just looking for a fun way to get their cardio in.
    — Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of boxers
Noun
  • All co-defendants are accused of failing to protect a minor and negligence.
    — Madeline Morrison, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Quijano and Arzuaga are the only two defendants who have been sentenced so far.
    — Madison Scott, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of defendants
Noun
  • Few character intros in movie history are better than Indiana Jones snagging that golden idol before being promptly chased by a giant boulder and a tribe of blowdart-wielding warriors.
    — Frank DeRuggiero, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Protective, almost — which makes sense, as its stunning chandeliers are designed to look like the shields and spears of African Masai warriors.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of warriors
Noun
  • Rome — Rome’s ancient Colosseum, where gladiators were once gored by wild animals to the delight of cheering crowds, has never exactly been associated with safety.
    — Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
  • This pair has a subtle gladiator-like design (ICYMI, gladiators are back), with straps wrapping slightly up the ankle.
    — Anna Traver, InStyle, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of gladiators
Noun
  • The panel of three judges nominated by Democratic former President Joe Biden agreed with the plaintiffs that the president does not have the power to regulate states' election policy.
    — NICHOLAS RICCARDI, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Officers detained about 60 people and deported some employees, including two plaintiffs who are part of Thursday’s lawsuit.
    — Valerie Gonzalez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of plaintiffs
Noun
  • The episodes saw 12 brawlers face off in teams led by Flay, Maneet Chauhan and Antonia Lofaso, aiming to win over judges Williamson, Carson Kressley and Rodney Scott.
    — Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Displacing the ’90s boom bap and aughts brawlers of her last album is a streak of assiduous ’80s R&B exercises that foreground her gains as a vocalist more often than her gobstopping wordplay as a rapper.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Definition of brawlers
Noun
  • Research has previously shown that AI models can be extremely persuasive, more so than even the best human salespeople or debaters.
    — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Personal laptops allow debaters to research, organize evidence and prepare for tournaments during free periods.
    — Kavin Bendre, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of debaters

Browse Nearby Words

fighter
fighters
fighting
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fighters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fighters. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of watershed

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All