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
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Recent Examples of combats
Solcyré Burga, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Becca Israel, director of the Nexus Project, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and promotes democracy, said the administration's actions send conflicting messages.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
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
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
The Joint Terrorism Task Force is a federal law enforcement organization that combats both domestic and international terrorism.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Becca Israel, director of the Nexus Project, a nonprofit that combats antisemitism and promotes democracy, said the administration's actions send conflicting messages.
—Jason Derose, NPR, 17 Sep. 2025
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
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The court fights all proved futile, however.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
-
This included people rushing the field, fights breaking out and some of the crowd panicking.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Another Israeli source told CNN that any response would be coordinated with the United States, adding that Israel was also considering restricting the flow of humanitarian aid, but Washington opposes such a step.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Bear League opposes killing Hope, and offered to pay to relocate the mother bear and cub, Bounce, Fleishman said.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Anything can impact a president's rating, such as legislation passed, actions and elections.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Cargill explained her actions following a commercial break.—
Fernando Quiles Jr,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Activists literally or figuratively flying the antifa flag have long been among the subset of people who go to protests to destroy property and get into violent skirmishes with far-right protestors (like the Proud Boys).—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Law enforcement officers have deployed tear gas and pepper balls in skirmishes with protesters.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Despite years of legal battles over the relocations, more than 150,000 bodies were exhumed from the 1920s to the early 1940s for the trip to Colma, each in various stages of decay.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
-
As legal battles intensify, the administration faces mounting pressure to justify its actions and resolve a case that has tested the limits of executive authority over immigration enforcement.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In September 2021, nine months after purchasing the team — then called Kansas City NWSL — the KC Current announced the purchase of 75 acres in Riverside to build a $15 million training facility with three practice fields.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
27 Oct. 2025
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Winners were selected by a jury made up of more than 550 members of the Film and TV Academy, which is currently being established to bring together professionals from across the Adriatic region and various fields of the film industry.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Both sides cautiously pursue normalization after years of recurring clashes.—
Amanda Greenwood,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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As tensions boiled, clashes broke out and federal agents used pepper balls and tear gas, hitting journalists, a pastor and officers with the Chicago Police Department, according to reports and a lawsuit.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Beijing’s talent-friendly move could also give it a boost amid continuing trade tensions and tech rivalries with Washington, which has imposed export controls on chips and other advanced technology that are spurring China to develop its own.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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Lewis, a tight end at Wisconsin from 2004-07, traces his appreciation for rivalries to his Big Ten roots.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combats. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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