Meaning & use
combating
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“combating” is a form of “combat”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Present participle of combat: taking action to stop or reduce something harmful.
Grammar: Takes an object: combating crime, not combating against crime.
Patterns
- combating something
The city is combating air pollution with new bus lanes.
Doctors are combating the spread of the virus.
She spent years combating poverty in rural areas.
noununcountableformal
The act or process of working to stop or reduce something harmful.
Grammar: Often used as a gerund: combating fraud is difficult.
Patterns
- combating of something
Combating corruption requires strong courts.
The combating of climate change needs global cooperation.
Word forms
| base form | combat |
|---|---|
| third person singular | combats |
| past tense | combated |
| British variant | combatting |
Common combinations
- combating climate change
- Combating climate change is a global task.
- combating crime
- The police are combating crime with more patrols.
- combating disease
- Vaccines are vital in combating disease.
- combating poverty
- The charity is combating poverty in the city.
- combating fraud
- Banks invest heavily in combating fraud.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fighting
- Fighting is more general and can mean physical conflict, while combating usually means taking action against a problem.
- tackling
- Tackling is more informal and suggests dealing with a problem directly.
- battling
- Battling stresses a long, hard struggle.
- countering
- Countering means acting against something, often an argument or threat, in response.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: combating or combatting?
combating vs combatting
Combatting is an accepted variant spelling, but combating is more standard in modern usage.
Practice
The government is ___ unemployment with new training programs.
Choose one answer.
Combating is followed directly by its object. Adding against or for is incorrect, and combated is the wrong form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “combating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.