Meaning & use
banding together
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“banding together” is a form of “band together”.
Meanings
verbintransitive
joining with other people to act as a group for a shared purpose, especially against a problem or opponent.
Grammar: No object; often followed by 'to' + infinitive or 'against' + noun: 'They banded together to protest.'
Patterns
- band together to do something
- band together against someone/something
- band together with someone
The neighbors are banding together to clean up the park.
Small shops banded together against the new supermarket.
The workers banded together with local activists to demand better pay.
noununcountable
the act of forming a group to support each other or to oppose something.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase, often after 'the': 'The banding together of rivals surprised everyone.'
Patterns
- the banding together of people
The banding together of rival teams made the campaign stronger.
Their banding together was a response to the sudden job cuts.
Word forms
| base form | band together |
|---|---|
| third person singular | bands together |
| past tense | banded together |
| past participle | banded together |
| -ing form | banding together |
Common combinations
- band together against
- The villagers banded together against the developers.
- band together to fight
- The students banded together to fight the fee increase.
- band together for support
- New parents often band together for support.
- band together with others
- We banded together with other tenants to negotiate repairs.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unite
- Stronger and more formal; it often suggests a permanent or official joining, while 'band together' is more temporary and informal.
- join forces
- Similar meaning but usually used for two or more groups, not individuals; 'band together' works for any number of people.
- team up
- Often used for a pair or small group working on a task; 'band together' suggests a larger group with a common cause.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: banding together or bonding together?
banding together vs bonding together
'Bonding together' means forming close personal relationships, not joining to take action. 'Banding together' is about cooperation for a goal.
Practice
The residents are banding together ___ the planned airport expansion.
Choose one answer.
'Band together against' is the usual pattern when opposing something. 'Band together for' would mean supporting it, 'with' needs a person or group, and 'to' must be followed by a verb, not a noun phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “banding together”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.