as in soldier
a person, group, or country that fights in a war or battle
Britain was a major combatant in World War II.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar 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 combatant
Israel did not directly fight as a combatant in the 2003 Iraq War.
—
Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
There was a tumultuous battle between the combatants but alas, the giant scorpion fatally bit Artemis’ boyfriend.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Of course, military operations often have to be kept under wraps to protect combatants and keep enemies off the scent.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
As the name suggests, attack subs are designed to hunt and destroy other submarines, surface combatants (warships) and, if necessary, commercial vessels.
—James Dwyer, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
There was a tumultuous battle between the combatants but alas, the giant scorpion fatally bit Artemis’ boyfriend.
—Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Of course, military operations often have to be kept under wraps to protect combatants and keep enemies off the scent.
—Parmy Olson, Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2026
As the name suggests, attack subs are designed to hunt and destroy other submarines, surface combatants (warships) and, if necessary, commercial vessels.
—James Dwyer, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
Noun
-
Military police are often the only armed personnel on base, outside of shooting ranges, hunting areas or in training, where soldiers can wield their service weapons without ammunition.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The village’s Black residents, including Hettie, are energized by a promising but tangled effort to redress a long-standing injustice—the unequal compensation received by Black South African soldiers in the Second World War.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nearby are paintings of animal-human hybrids by the Danish artist Ovartaci and a 2022 video environment by Christopher Kulendran Thomas, which includes what appears to be footage of Tamil independence fighters and a deepfake of Kim Kardashian.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Other Colorado fighters Where other UFC fighters from The Centennial State currently stand in their respective weight classes.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The theology in such conflicts usually masks more primal power struggles and still tends to make the wars and warriors more fanatical and bloodthirsty.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Fearless Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya) returns in a different romantic capacity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The driver sustained only minor visible injuries, according to troopers.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
According to court records, Hickerson was driving north on Ambassador Drive through Northwest 88th Street when he was pulled over by a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper for allegedly crossing over into the right lane.—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatant. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
