combine
Americanverb (used with object)
-
combines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
combined,
past participle, past
-
combining
present participle
-
to bring into or join in a close union or whole; unite.
She combined the ingredients to make the cake.
They combined the two companies.
- Synonyms:
- amalgamate, compound
- Antonyms:
- separate
-
to possess or exhibit in union.
a plan that combines the best features of several other plans.
-
to harvest (grain) with a combine.
verb (used without object)
-
combines,
present (3rd person singular)
-
combined,
past participle, past
-
combining
present participle
-
to unite; coalesce.
The clay combined with the water to form a thick paste.
- Antonyms:
- separate
-
to unite for a common purpose; join forces.
After the two factions combined, they proved invincible.
-
to enter into chemical union.
-
to use a combine in harvesting.
noun
-
combines
plural
-
a combination.
-
a combination of persons or groups for the furtherance of their political, commercial, or other interests, as a syndicate, cartel, or trust.
-
a harvesting machine for cutting and threshing grain in the field.
verb
-
to integrate or cause to be integrated; join together
-
to unite or cause to unite to form a chemical compound
-
agriculture to harvest (crops) with a combine harvester
noun
-
agriculture short for combine harvester
-
an association of enterprises, esp in order to gain a monopoly of a market
-
an association of business corporations, political parties, sporting clubs, etc, for a common purpose
Usage
What does combine mean? To combine means to join two or more things together into a single unit. When things are combined, they form combinations. Less commonly, combine can also be used as a noun to refer to several different things, especially a grain harvester and an event at which athletes showcase their skills. Example: At the draft combine, scouts are looking for a player who combines strength, agility, and intelligence in a single package.
Synonym Usage
See mix.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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combinabilitynoun
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combinernoun
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recombinernoun
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precombineverb
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recombineverb
-
intercombineverb (used with object)
-
combinableadjective
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noncombiningadjective
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uncombiningadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
combinesimple
-
combinessimple
-
have combinedperfect
-
has combinedperfect
-
am combiningprogressive
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are combiningprogressive
-
is combiningprogressive
-
have been combiningperfect progressive
-
has been combiningperfect progressive
Past
-
combinedsimple
-
had combinedperfect
-
was combiningprogressive
-
were combiningprogressive
-
had been combiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of combine
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English combinen, from Middle French combiner, from Late Latin combīnāre, equivalent to com- com- + -bīnāre, verb derived from bīnī “by twos” ( cf. binary)
Explanation
When you put things together, you combine them, creating one out of several. In some cases, the different items blend their properties and cannot be divided again, while in other cases the combined items can be picked out separately. In Latin, the prefix com- means "together," and bīnī means "two by two." These were combined to create the word combīnāre, or "to unite." Comedian Dave Attell offers a good use of the verb combine (cum-BINE): What're the two things they tell you are healthiest to eat? Chicken and fish. You know what you should do? Combine them, eat a penguin. Hiram Moore's combine (the noun is pronounced COM-bine) was a machine that combined reaping, binding, and threshing into one machine, saving farmers a lot of work.
Vocabulary lists containing combine
com-, con-
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Human Geography - Middle School
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Human Geography - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Their calculations suggest that, under the right conditions, two fundamentally different classes of quantum particles -- bosons and fermions -- can combine to create stable, self-bound "quantum droplets."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Thompson ran the 40 in a blistering 4.26 seconds, tying him for the fastest at the 2026 combine and the third-fastest time by a wide receiver at the combine since 2003.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Few properties combine this degree of scale, privacy, and resort-style living in one of California’s most sought-after residential communities,” Altman said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
He is now planning to take on an apprenticeship with a local electrician which he will combine with on-call shifts for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“Sweet. Let’s each start writing from there and see what we come up with. Then we can combine, share, whatever,” Tanasia says.
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
HDR, or high dynamic range imaging, combines exposures with different brightness levels so that both very bright and very faint details can be preserved in a single image.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Lost Weekend Planetarium show, external, named after the 31-year-old's new album which is due to be released on Friday, combines curated, nocturnal scenes by National Geographic night-sky photographer Babak Tafreshi with the 16-track record.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
The drug, a once-weekly shot that combines GLP-1, GIP and glucagon, is the most effective yet, helping people lose up to 28% of their body weight in clinical trials.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The deal combines credit and equity to provide capital for the New York Yankees’ growth and to refinance existing debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Heads of factories; directors of industries and agricultural combines who hate to be what they call ‘the Machine’s office-boy’ belong to it.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
"More globally, this work is a step forward in the combined use of laboratory experiments and AI to decipher the information that is embedded in the sequence of the DNA bases in humans," said Kadonaga.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
The discussions, however, unraveled after Pernod and Brown-Forman couldn’t agree on a price or how to divide representation on the combined company’s board, according to people familiar with the discussions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The pair, who have a combined 44 singles and doubles Grand Slams, have been given a wildcard into the main draw of the competition.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
For the high-high price of a combined $309 million.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The Soviet Union had more first-rate players than any other three nations combined.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
By combining nature with military technology, Polish forces and their allies hope to deter any Russian threat, as the war in neighbouring Ukraine heads for a fifth year.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
“By combining Apple silicon, on-device processing, privacy, operating systems, personal context, and a vast installed base, Ternus could cement Apple’s device dominance in an AI enabled era,” Mohan wrote.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
All are hybrids - crossbred varieties created by combining two or more distinct grape species.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
These products emphasize “not stripping the skin barrier, not being too harsh—and then also combining the sensorial experience,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The trio developed what they called a Win Score, which was a rating system based on combining points and assists and rebounds and turnovers and shooting percentages in a complicated equation.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
