# combat

/ˈkɑmbæt/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/combat
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 2. to fight against a problem

verb · CEFR B2

to try to stop something bad from happening or getting worse.

For teachers: to take active steps to reduce, prevent, or eliminate something undesirable. Transitive — takes a direct object representing the problem.

- The government is introducing new laws to combat climate change.
- Public health officials are working tirelessly to combat the spread of the virus by implementing strict quarantine measures and vaccination programmes.

Usage: Commonly used with abstract nouns like 'crime', 'poverty', 'disease', or 'inflation'.

### 3. a struggle for victory

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a competition or struggle to win against an opponent.

For teachers: a non-military struggle or contest between opposing individuals or ideas.

- The two politicians were locked in a verbal combat during the debate.
- The courtroom became an arena for intellectual combat as the two legal teams argued over the interpretation of the new statute.

## Examples

- The soldiers were trained for hand-to-hand combat.
- The government is launching a new initiative to increase combat against rising levels of cybercrime.
- While the treaty reduced the risk of open combat between the two nations, it did little to ease the underlying diplomatic tensions that had fueled the conflict for decades.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.