Combats — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈkäm-ˌbat/ (noun) /kəm-ˈbat/ (verb) com·bat

Meaning & Definition of Combats

Combats (noun)

  1. a fight or contest between individuals or groups
  2. conflict, controversy
  3. active fighting in a war, action

Combats (verb)

  1. to engage in combat, fight
  2. to fight with, battle
  3. to struggle against; especially, to strive to reduce or eliminate

Combats (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to oppose (someone) in physical conflict

    "a general eager to combat the enemy on his own ground"

    similar: battles, clashes (with), fights, scrimmages (with), skirmishes (with), wars (against)
    related: duels, jousts, bangs, bashes, bats, batters, beats, belts, bludgeons, bops, buffets, clobbers, hammers, hits, knocks, pastes, pounds, punches, slams, slaps, slogs, slugs, smacks, smites, socks, strikes, swats, swipes, thumps, thwacks, wallops, whacks, whales, boxes, spars, brawls, grapples, scuffles, tussles, wrestles, bumps, collides
    near: gives up, submits, surrenders

  2. to strive to reduce or eliminate

    "must marshal all of our resources to combat this disease"

    similar: battles, contends (with), counters, fights, opposes, oppugns
    related: baffles, checkmates, foils, frustrates, resists, thwarts, withstands, confronts, defies, faces, meets
    opposite: advances, cultivates, encourages, forwards, fosters, furthers, nourishes, nurtures, promotes
    near: abides, bears, endures, suffers, advocates, backs, champions, endorses, supports, upholds

Combats (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. active fighting during the course of a war

    "a soldier who served throughout the war without actually seeing combat"

    similar: actions, battles, fields
    related: attacks, firefights, fires, pitched battles, hostilities, operations, warfares, duties, services

  2. a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

    "the two stags entered a furious combat for dominance of the herd"

    similar: battles, clashes, conflicts, contests, dustups, fights, fracases, frays, hassles, scraps, scrimmages, scrums, scuffles, skirmishes, struggles, tussles
    related: pitched battles, rough-and-tumbles, affrays (chiefly British), battles royal, brawls, broils, donnybrooks, free-for-alls, melees, mix-ups, ruckuses, ructions, blows, fistfights, fisticuffs, grapples, handgrips, punch-outs, punch-ups (chiefly British), slugfests, confrontations, duels, face-offs, jousts, altercations, argle-bargles (chiefly British), arguments, argy-bargies (chiefly British), contretemps, controversies, cross fires, disagreements, disputes, fallings-out, kickups, misunderstandings, quarrels, rows, spats, squabbles, tangles, tiffs, wrangles, catfights
    near: truces

  3. an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another

    "the fierce ideological combat between the religionists and the secularists"

    similar: ball games, battles, competitions, conflicts, confrontations, contentions, contests, dogfights, duels, face-offs, grapples, matches, rivalries, strifes, struggles, sweepstakes, tugs-of-war, warfares, wars
    related: horse races, nail-biters, showdowns, clashes, collisions, discords, frictions, arguments, controversies, debates, disagreements, disputations, disputes, dissensions, quarrels, rows, wrangles
    near: concords, harmonies, peaces

Related Entry: Combat (verb)

Combat is a different word from Combats. The synonyms below are for combat, not for combats.

  1. to oppose (someone) in physical conflict

    "a general eager to combat the enemy on his own ground"

    similar: battle, clash (with), fight, scrimmage (with), skirmish (with), war (against)
    related: duel, joust, bang, bash, bat, batter, beat, belt, bludgeon, bop, buffet, clobber, hammer, hit, knock, paste, pound, punch, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale, box, spar, brawl, grapple, scuffle, tussle, wrestle, bump, collide
    near: give up, submit, surrender

  2. to strive to reduce or eliminate

    "must marshal all of our resources to combat this disease"

    similar: battle, contend (with), counter, fight, oppose, oppugn
    related: baffle, checkmate, foil, frustrate, resist, thwart, withstand, confront, defy, face, meet
    opposite: advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote
    near: abide, bear, endure, suffer, advocate, back, champion, endorse, support, uphold

Related Entry: Combat (noun)

Combat is a different word from Combats. The synonyms below are for combat, not for combats.

  1. active fighting during the course of a war

    "a soldier who served throughout the war without actually seeing combat"

    similar: action, battle, field
    related: attack, fire, firefight, pitched battle, single combat, hostilities, operations, warfare, duty, service

  2. a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups

    "the two stags entered a furious combat for dominance of the herd"

    similar: battle, clash, conflict, contest, dustup, fight, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussle
    related: pitched battle, rough-and-tumble, affray (chiefly British), battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee, mix-up, ruckus, ruction, blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-out, punch-up (chiefly British), slugfest, confrontation, duel, face-off, joust, altercation, argle-bargle (chiefly British), argument, argy-bargy (chiefly British), contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle, catfight
    near: truce

  3. an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another

    "the fierce ideological combat between the religionists and the secularists"

    similar: ball game, battle, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, contest, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, struggle, sweepstakes, tug-of-war, war, warfare
    related: horse race, nail-biter, showdown, clash, collision, discord, friction, argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dispute, dissension, quarrel, row, wrangle
    near: concord, harmony, peace

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Combats

The most common words with a similar meaning to Combats:

battles, clashes (with), fights, scrimmages (with), skirmishes (with), wars (against), contends (with), counters, opposes, oppugns, actions, fields, clashes, conflicts, contests, dustups, fracases, frays, hassles, scraps, scrimmages, scrums, scuffles, skirmishes, struggles, tussles, ball games, competitions, confrontations, contentions, dogfights, duels, face-offs, grapples, matches, rivalries, strifes, sweepstakes, tugs-of-war, warfares

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Combats

Words with the opposite meaning of Combats:

advances, cultivates, encourages, forwards, fosters, furthers, nourishes, nurtures, promotes

Related Words for Combats

jousts, bangs, bashes, bats, batters, beats, belts, bludgeons, bops, buffets, clobbers, hammers, hits, knocks, pastes, pounds, punches, slams, slaps, slogs, slugs, smacks, smites, socks, strikes, swats, swipes, thumps, thwacks, wallops

Near Antonyms of Combats

gives up, submits, surrenders, abides, bears, endures, suffers, advocates, backs, champions, endorses, supports, upholds, truces, concords, harmonies, peaces

Word Forms of Combats

Inflections: combated, combatted, combating, combatting

Origin & Etymology of Combats

Anglo-French, from combatre to attack, fight, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- + battuere to beat

First known use: 1548

Frequently Asked Questions about Combats

What does "Combats" mean?

"Combats" means a fight or contest between individuals or groups. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a fight or contest between individuals or groups. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Combats"?

Other words for "Combats" include battles, clashes (with), fights, scrimmages (with), skirmishes (with), wars (against), contends (with) and counters. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Combats" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Combats"?

There are 144 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Combats". Common alternatives include battles, clashes (with), fights, scrimmages (with), skirmishes (with), wars (against), contends (with), counters, opposes and oppugns.

What is the opposite of "Combats"?

Antonyms of "Combats" include advances, cultivates, encourages, forwards, fosters, furthers, nourishes and nurtures. Near antonyms include gives up, submits, surrenders and abides.

How do you use "Combats" in a sentence?

Examples of "Combats" in a sentence: "a general eager to combat the enemy on his own ground"; "must marshal all of our resources to combat this disease"; "a soldier who served throughout the war without actually seeing combat".

Is "Combats" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Combats" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Combats"?

"Combats" is pronounced /ˈkäm-ˌbat/ as a noun and /kəm-ˈbat/ as a verb and divided into syllables as com·bat.

What is the origin of the word "Combats"?

"Combats" comes from Anglo-French, from combatre to attack, fight, from Vulgar Latin *combattere, from Latin com- + battuere to beat. First known use: 1548.