1
: a fight or contest between individuals or groups
2
3
: active fighting in a war : action
casualties suffered in combat
combated or combatted; combating or combatting
: to engage in combat : fight
1
: to fight with : battle
2
: to struggle against
especially
: to strive to reduce or eliminate
combat pollution
1
: relating to combat
combat missions
2
: designed or destined for combat
combat boots
combat troops
Synonyms
Examples of combat in a Sentence
Noun
Some of these soldiers have never seen combat.
He was killed in combat.
Verb
The drug helps combat infection.
She dedicated her life to combating poverty.
Exercise can help combat the effects of stress.
The mayor pledged to combat crime.
They have been combating the rebels for months.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
The intellectual combat between him and Settembrini—which ends physically, in a duel—provides some of the most dazzling passages in The Magic Mountain.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Clare Duffy, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
His resume includes work for the International Justice Mission, a nonprofit that aims to combat human trafficking.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
David Axe, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Establishing a strong personal brand allows women to increase their visibility, control their narrative, combat unconscious bias, and open doors to new career opportunities.
—William Arruda, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combat 
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Noun
Many soldiers were wounded in combat, often at major battles such as Stones River and Gettysburg, but survived until long after the Civil War’s conclusion.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 6 Nov. 2024
The intellectual combat between him and Settembrini—which ends physically, in a duel—provides some of the most dazzling passages in The Magic Mountain.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
The pauses on some ads come as election officials have already spent weeks trying to combat viral misinformation about the election, including uncorroborated allegations of machines flipping votes and claims of widespread fraud in mail ballots.
—Clare Duffy, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
His resume includes work for the International Justice Mission, a nonprofit that aims to combat human trafficking.
—Jimmy Jenkins, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Many of Ukraine’s older brigades have been in combat non-stop since the Russians invaded in February 2022.
—David Axe, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Establishing a strong personal brand allows women to increase their visibility, control their narrative, combat unconscious bias, and open doors to new career opportunities.
—William Arruda, Forbes, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combat
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Dictionary Entries Near combat
Cite this Entry
“Combat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combat. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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