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
About half of all business owners express reluctance to hire victims of the conflict, defined as anyone who suffered collective or individual damage from the armed conflict, and 78% would not employ former combatants.
—
Mie Hoejris Dahl, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Jan. 2025
More than 45,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, according to the Gazan health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Israeli forces have invaded both Gaza and Lebanon in its wars against Hamas and Lebanon, which have resulted in the displacement of millions of people and the killing of tens of thousands of people, civilians and combatants.
—Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Dec. 2024
War in Europe has exhausted the combatants, but with Russia’s weakness on display, there are some hopeful glimmers of a settlement Ukrainians can abide.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combatant 
Mie Hoejris Dahl, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Jan. 2025
More than 45,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the beginning of the war, according to the Gazan health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
Israeli forces have invaded both Gaza and Lebanon in its wars against Hamas and Lebanon, which have resulted in the displacement of millions of people and the killing of tens of thousands of people, civilians and combatants.
—Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Dec. 2024
War in Europe has exhausted the combatants, but with Russia’s weakness on display, there are some hopeful glimmers of a settlement Ukrainians can abide.
—Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 20 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
Noun
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Despite the removal of troops from Afghanistan, something that had been promised by successive presidents before him, by voters for errors in the withdrawal, which included the deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers.—
Theo Burman,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
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The pair later spent nearly half an hour in Section 60, the burial site for military personnel killed while fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, talking with families of soldiers who died in the 2021 Kabul airport bombing.—
WILL WEISSERT,
arkansasonline.com,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Ewoks There may be some nostalgia for this two-season ABC series about the cute but fierce warriors from the forest moon of Endor, but Ewoks never manages to shake off its cheap 1980s Saturday morning cartoon look and format.—
Rafael Motamayor,
Vulture,
15 Jan. 2025
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While keyboard warriors were quick to question Markle's motives, experts told Fox News Digital that the delay may prove to help improve Markle's public reputation.—
Tracy Wright,
Fox News,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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These early dinosaurs were also initially vastly outnumbered by their reptile cousins–a group of enormous crocodile ancestors called the pseudosuchians and pterosaurs who grew to the size of fighter jets.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
23 Jan. 2025
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Simultaneously, Israeli airstrikes destroyed multiple military installations, including fighter jets and weapon caches across Syria.—
Hadeel Al-Shalchi,
NPR,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In another case, OLS DPS troopers pulled over the driver of an 18-wheeler on IH-35 who gave consent to search his vehicle.—
Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
19 Jan. 2025
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State troopers responded to a report of the crash at 7:47 p.m. on Route 72 West in the area of Exit 2, according to Connecticut State Police.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Combatant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combatant. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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