as in soldier
a person, group, or country that fights in a war or battle
Britain was a major combatant in World War II.
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Recent Examples of combatant
That’s how Tim Burton described the key combatants in his 1989 blockbuster, which created the template for the modern superhero film — one in which darkness, vivid production design, and moody characters would reign supreme.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count but says more than half of the dead are women and children, the Washington Post reported.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 9 July 2025
Some mourners also gathered on freeway overpasses to honor the 23-year-old, who joined the Navy in 2021 and became a warfare combatant boat crew member two years later.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2025
The conflict has resulted in the forced displacement of almost the entire population of over 2 million people, and the killing of about 55,000 combatants and civilians, some 3,000 of whom were killed since the most recent ceasefire ended in March, according to Hamas.
—Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025
The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count but says more than half of the dead are women and children, the Washington Post reported.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 9 July 2025
Some mourners also gathered on freeway overpasses to honor the 23-year-old, who joined the Navy in 2021 and became a warfare combatant boat crew member two years later.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2025
The conflict has resulted in the forced displacement of almost the entire population of over 2 million people, and the killing of about 55,000 combatants and civilians, some 3,000 of whom were killed since the most recent ceasefire ended in March, according to Hamas.
—Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
Noun
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What may have been a Roman soldier's monthly paycheck has emerged from under the ground, officials announced this month.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
31 July 2025
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An action-adventure flick directed by J.C. Chandor for Netflix, Triple Frontier follows a group of former special-ops soldiers who — feeling financially undervalued for their years spent in military service — decide to get what's rightfully theirs by robbing a drug lord.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
31 July 2025
Noun
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By the time Dragon Ball Super rolls around, Goku is fighting cosmic gods in his quest to save the world and become the strongest warrior in existence.—
Chris Snellgrove,
EW.com,
29 July 2025
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There was a chink in the indestructible warrior’s armour.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
28 July 2025
Noun
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Aside from the streaks and stats, the truth lies in the level of competition the fighters have faced.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
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The fighter aircraft took off at 1:06 p.m. (0706 GMT) from the air force base in Dhaka's Kurmitola for a routine training mission, but experienced a mechanical failure soon after.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
Noun
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Abbott is also seeking $3.62 billion to defray costs for the National Guard deployment and $2.25 billion for the cost of keeping DPS troopers at the border.—
John C. Moritz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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In surveys of members conducted with more than 75% participation, more than 90% of command officers and 98% of troopers expressed non-confidence in Grady and his controversial choice as the MSP's chief deputy director, Lt. Col. Aimee Brimacombe, the unions announced in June.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatant. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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