1
as in to fight
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 to oppose
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 field
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 skirmish
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 battle
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 combat
Toni Sutton, People.com, 11 July 2025
Luthor combats Superman through a combination of science and technology — injecting nanobot GPS trackers into Superman’s bloodstream — using methods that recall the hideous Covid manipulation.
—Armond White, National Review, 11 July 2025
Idaho Statesman, 8 July 2025
Having never experienced this form of combat, most countries in the world, including the United States, are now far behind the Ukrainians in this regard.
—Jon Finer, Foreign Affairs, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for combat
Verb
Levoit Top Fill Humidifier The best-selling Levoit humidifier skillfully combats the dry air in my home, which really helped during the colder months when my skin and sinuses suffer most.
—Toni Sutton, People.com, 11 July 2025
Luthor combats Superman through a combination of science and technology — injecting nanobot GPS trackers into Superman’s bloodstream — using methods that recall the hideous Covid manipulation.
—Armond White, National Review, 11 July 2025
Noun
The wing’s largest deployment involved more than 500 airmen in 2016 to support combat operations against the Islamic State group.
—Idaho Statesman, 8 July 2025
Having never experienced this form of combat, most countries in the world, including the United States, are now far behind the Ukrainians in this regard.
—Jon Finer, Foreign Affairs, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for combat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combat
Verb
-
The team is also fighting injuries within the starting rotation.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
Five engines, two trucks, one squad, three ambulances, and three battalion chiefs assisted in fighting the fire.—
Pioneer Press,
Chicago Tribune,
8 July 2025
Verb
-
This is apt when considering the impacts of the Trump administration’s policy agenda, which has generated various opposing forces on economic growth this year.—
Jeffrey Schulze,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
Washington County Treasurer and task force Chair Scott Henke said three of the five task force members opposed Accel's plan.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Baseball’s technical folks put three-dimensional images on the Truist Park field of the Los Angeles Dodgers players at their positions from that night of April 8, 1974 at old Atlanta Fulton County Stadium.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
-
To satisfy presidential demands, field offices are directed to meet new daily arrest quotas—75 arrests per office—raising agency-wide targets to 1,200–1,500 arrests per day, up from only about a few hundred.—
Juwayriah Wright,
Time,
15 July 2025
Noun
-
Yet Villa were short of cash and the lack of financial headroom brought skirmishes with profit and sustainability rules (PSR).—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
8 July 2025
-
Could a Stronger Federal System Have Prevented the Texas Disaster and is this even the question to ask? America’s approach to disaster relief has long been one of the recurring skirmishes in the larger political theatre of governance.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Potter faces a battle to restore optimism among the fanbase.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Dorsey notably supported Kendrick Lamar during the high-profile rap battle between Kendrick and Drake last year, prompting fans to speculate that his apparent stance may have been influenced by Rooks’ connection to the Canadian rapper.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
From 21 March on, the gang launched attacks against several areas in the communes of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite and Marchand Dessalines.—
Jacqueline Charles
July 11,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
-
But then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin repudiated the deal, saying a decision on the death penalty in an attack as grave as Sept. 11 should only be made by the defense secretary.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Steve Garcia When the betting odds were first published for the Calvin Kattar vs. Steve Garcia featherweight clash, Garcia was listed as a -140 betting favorite over the +115 Kattar.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
President Donald Trump broke his silence one day after reports of a clash between U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino about the release of a memo regarding Jeffrey Epstein, which prompted conservatives on social media to call for the president to fire her.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 July 2025
Noun
-
There’s been a lot of change in college football in recent years, but rivalries still form the foundation of the sport for so many fans.—
The Athletic College Football Staff,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
-
Adding an element of controversy to what’s been an unusually friendly title rivalry, Piastri even suggested that if McLaren thought the call was unfair, the team could ask him and Norris to swap places to cancel the effect of the penalty.—
James Ellingworth,
Denver Post,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combat. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share