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
John Dorfman, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Ant International claims the platform combats hallucinations and other data risks by using over 100 recognition models and 600,000 risk lexicons.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
Fox combats his symptoms, such as paralysis of his facial muscles, through medication and trains to preserve his ambulatory skills.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Ant International claims the platform combats hallucinations and other data risks by using over 100 recognition models and 600,000 risk lexicons.
—Lionel Lim, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
Fox combats his symptoms, such as paralysis of his facial muscles, through medication and trains to preserve his ambulatory skills.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 13 Aug. 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
-
Under a new deal with CBS and Paramount+, UFC fights will be available for all subscribers.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Days later, then-Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley announced a campaign challenging the former governor as the GOP fights to keep the Senate seat red.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The administration counters that the injunction forces the executive branch to take steps that undermine its own policy, including negotiating with foreign governments over funds the president opposes and sending contradictory signals to Congress.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Kelley is chastised and eventually replaced by Gustave Gilbert (Colin Hanks), a rival psychologist with a different take, one that opposes Kelley’s more humanistic approach in defining the horrors of that time.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Similar to the way Madueke drove at his man without hesitation, those first-time strikes were very welcome after last season, when many actions in and around the penalty area felt a bit too laborious.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
-
These small but deliberate actions can open doors to new learning and strengthen workplace success.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Still one of the NFL’s nastiest division rivalries, the game was full of skirmishes and a near-costly unnecessary roughness penalty late in the third against the Eagles that put the Cowboys in position to take the lead.—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Ideological skirmishes over the motives and obligations of Carpenter’s music include both sincere interrogation of its feminism and smirking counteractive reprisals to that scrutiny.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As a smart two-way player who can win board battles and create offense off the rush, Celebrini’s game translated extremely favorably to the pro ranks.—
Chris Johnston,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Launched in 2003, this sci-fi MMORPG has played host to epic spaceship battles and intergalactic heists on a scale that most other multiplayer games can only dream of.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
For the Sandhills, June is a prime time to see early blossoms, while August through September brings fields of sunflowers and asters.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Sirianni mentioned how those created short fields for an offense.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
At least 22 police officers were injured during the clashes, a spokesperson for Spain’s National Police told CNN.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Shots fired in San Bernardino, spike strips in Van Nuys, and clashes in Santa Ana highlight a rise in confrontations between immigration agents and civilians — a trend experts warn is intensifying across Southern California.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
During his over five-decade career, Lawler was part of many iconic rivalries against the likes of Bret Hart, Kerry Von Erich, Terry Funk, Andy Kaufman, and much more.—
Jeremy Hanna,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
-
No doubt, rivalries and disagreements still exist.—
David Mednicoff,
The Conversation,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combats. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share