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 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 And when the combatants’ political end goals are too muddy or maximalist, imposing costs indefinitely can seem like the only alternative to capitulation. — Nadia Schadlow, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2026 Some of the people on at the scene told CBS News New York's Dave Carlin that one of the combatants had a knife. — Jeff Capellini, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026 Fate can also take a hand, with unforeseen developments bolstering one combatant’s negotiating position. — John R. Bolton, Washington Post, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for combatant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combatant
  1. soldier
  2. fighter
  3. warrior
  4. trooper
Noun
  • But what chance would American soldiers have against a country whose military doctrine has already imagined active resistance in populated areas, backed by citizens who could potentially provide intelligence, surveillance and other forms of support?
    — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Not so for Cal, who meets soldier Olivier during the Napoleonic Wars and creates a paradox to keep him from dying on the battlefield… only for Olivier to disappear from the timeline entirely.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of soldier
Noun
  • Earlier this week, Yemen's military said its forces had uprooted Houthi fighters from the areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a Red Sea shipping chokepoint, and the port city of Mocha.
    — Frank Andrews, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • That month, around 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, and three Russian fighter jets crossed into Estonian airspace before being shot down and chased out, respectively, by NATO forces.
    — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of fighter
Noun
  • On June 21, Langlade and more than two hundred Ojibwe and Odawa soldiers attacked while most of the Miami warriors were away at their summer hunting camps and the women were working in the fields outside the walls.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Donskoy is not the first warrior saint Russia has invoked during its war in Ukraine.
    — CNN Staff, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • Deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers caught up with Lopez, who sped away at speeds of up to 100 mph, according to his arrest report.
    — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The Tennessee man accused of killing a Kentucky state trooper was on probation and already wanted for a violation, with a criminal record that included assault, fraud and illegally possessing a gun.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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