combatant

noun

Definition of combatantnext
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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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 Akhtar the author, though, is conducting a stealthy psyop aimed at detonating the certainties of combatants on both sides. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 Major combatants The three major belligerents in the Rhodesian Bush War were the Rhodesian security forces, ZANLA, and ZIPRA. — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 The main combatants are Ethiopian federal troops and fighters loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF, an armed political group in Tigray, Ethiopia's northernmost regional state. — Samuel Getachew, Arkansas Online, 25 Sep. 2026 The main combatants are Ethiopian federal troops and fighters loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, an armed political group in Tigray, Ethiopia's northernmost regional state. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
  1. soldier
  2. fighter
  3. warrior
  4. trooper
Noun
  • The soldiers fired tear gas at the Palestinians, not the settlers, multiple witnesses said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026
  • The program also aims to make the systems easier for soldiers to operate, potentially allowing units outside traditional air defence formations to employ laser weapons against incoming drones.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of soldier
Noun
  • Its design supports an air group of up to around 40 aircraft, including F-35B fighters and helicopters, depending on the operational configuration.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This reboot, directed by Kitao Sakurai and starring Noah Centineo and Andrew Koji, takes place in 1993 as two estranged fighters are recruited to enter a tournament that forces them to face off against each other.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of fighter
Noun
  • Hoskins made a bright-red sport coat his sartorial trademark, often posing with a wood baseball bat and speaking about politics as a series of battles and himself as a conservative warrior.
    — Jeremy Kohler, ProPublica, 15 Oct. 2026
  • With a roster of A-list session warriors, including drummers Matt Chamberlain and Jay Bellerose, their backing band and orchestra lend a grandeur to the LP that finally matched their aesthetic ambitions and gothic lore.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • Colorado State Patrol troopers say not only are some drivers being charged for one DUI, but troopers are seeing issues where the same driver is getting more than one DUI.
    — Brian Sherrod, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • According to state police, the trooper allegedly spotted what looked like a firearm near the center console while speaking to Elliott-Guillory.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of trooper

Browse Nearby Words

combat
combatant
combatants
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Cite this Entry

“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatant. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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