combat 1 of 2

combat

2 of 2

noun

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
3

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb combat differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of combat are oppose, resist, and withstand. While all these words mean "to set oneself against someone or something," combat stresses the forceful or urgent countering of something.

combat disease

Where would oppose be a reasonable alternative to combat?

In some situations, the words oppose and combat are roughly equivalent. However, oppose can apply to any conflict, from mere objection to bitter hostility or warfare.

opposed the plan

When can resist be used instead of combat?

The words resist and combat can be used in similar contexts, but resist implies an overt recognition of a hostile or threatening force and a positive effort to counteract or repel it.

resisting temptation

In what contexts can withstand take the place of combat?

The words withstand and combat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, withstand suggests a more passive resistance.

trying to withstand peer pressure

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
Verb
Movement is linked with the release of feel-good neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin, too, which can help combat symptoms of depression, Dr. Gallagher says. Korin Miller, SELF, 24 July 2025 Once again, this agency is undermining legitimate efforts to combat discrimination and expand opportunity by overstepping its authority and intervening in employment matters reserved for other government entities with proper jurisdiction on these issues. Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2025
Noun
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is the Defense Department's only tri-service base, a hub with global reach, responsible for providing mission support, airlift, air refueling and combat airpower. Arkansas Online, 20 July 2025 Family members of active military will get a $25 discount, and family members of military personnel who died in combat will also be able to receive PreCheck for free. Hadley Hitson, The Tennessean, 18 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for combat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combat
Verb
  • Experts say the relatively simple way to survive this current is to float, stay as calm as possible and don’t fight it.
    Tresa Baldas, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
  • The tribe also has fought to preserve shrinking numbers of the c'waam and koptu, two fish species central to the three tribal cultures that form the tribe.
    Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 21 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
  • The skirmish left the mother of Jones' child with a black eye.
    Chris Ramirez, jsonline.com, 18 July 2025
  • The skirmish has thrust into the public eye a falling-out between two political heavyweights once seen as close allies.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • There was a long legal battle, that went on for years.
    Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 19 July 2025
  • Coming weeks after Lexington and Concord, the battle marked the British effort to control the hills surrounding Boston’s harbor.
    Brian T. Allen, National Review, 19 July 2025
Noun
  • The restaurant was a favorite hangout of the Gilbert Goons and the site of seven parking lot attacks, according to beating videos, interviews and police records.
    Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
  • Walmart provided security footage that reportedly confirms both the attack and the theft.
    Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 23 July 2025
Noun
  • Navarro and Griffin have long had tension on the air, including past eye-rolling and clashes.
    EW.com, EW.com, 25 July 2025
  • Which is why policy analysts are scratching their heads about what exactly lies behind the escalating border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • The plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged Amazon didn't consider the Falcon 9 due to an intense and personal rivalry between Bezos and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
    Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025
  • However, the trade rivalry between the U.S. and China has been weighing heavily on the industry.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 15 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Combat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combat. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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