combating

verb

variants or combatting
present participle of combat
1
as in fighting
to oppose (someone) in physical conflict a general eager to combat the enemy on his own ground

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposing
to strive to reduce or eliminate must marshal all of our resources to combat this disease

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 combating Such tools for combating oppressive heat look prescient now, but Stierli isn’t impressed; Tropical Modernism was sensitive to the region’s climate but not to its culture. — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026 That's the reverse of the Senate race ideologically, in which Markey − a leader in combating climate change − is to Moulton's left. — Margie Cullen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 When used together, the ingredients strengthen and protect the skin, combating fine lines and wrinkles while providing moisture and antioxidant protection. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026 Rather than combating environmental noise, their proprietary Entropy Quantum Computing (EQC). — Chuck Brooks, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Their campaign focused on combating corruption and insecurity, creating jobs, and strengthening public institutions. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026 And New England Patriots owner Kraft has donated over $1 billion to causes including healthcare, prison reform, and combating antisemitism. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 Aug. 2026 The fastest-growing category now is NAD+ — a coenzyme central to mitochondrial energy production and DNA repair — sold as boosting energy, combating aging and enhancing recovery. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 In later years, Parton and her charitable Dollywood Foundation were active in charitable work encouraging literacy and combating the spread of HIV and AIDS. — Chris Morris, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combating
  1. fighting
  2. opposing
  3. battling
  4. countering
Verb
  • As a result, the Fed’s attention is now fixed on fighting inflation, instead of the other part of its dual mandate, namely supporting the labor market.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • For France, long accustomed to wildfires along arid stretches of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the devastation in Le Porge has yielded rare consensus that its fire safety system is not up to fighting mega-fires brought on by climate change.
    — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fighting
Verb
  • Hahn said that the opposing viewpoints could have been more thoroughly debated, had the project been subject to CEQA review.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The majority of Paxton’s rally focused on religion, cutting costs of living and opposing Democratic nominee James Talarico.
    — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of opposing
Verb
  • While Kaepernick was out of the league, the NFL went about trying to turn the temperature down on his protest, battling the aftermath of an especially divisive election and a ratings slide some attributed to the player demonstrations.
    — Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
  • After battling competitors from America, France and Lithuania, Gunn didn’t earn a single vote from judges.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of battling
Verb
  • To have any hope of countering China’s industrial challenge, the US needs a coalition.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The $40 million award adds specialized hardware to an Army program focused on countering increasingly complex aerial threats.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of countering

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combated
combating
combative
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Cite this Entry

“Combating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combating. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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