combine
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
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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)
-
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
-
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
-
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
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have combinedperfect
-
has combinedperfect
-
am combiningprogressive
-
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:
The companies can’t combine yet, meaning promised cost savings and strategic moves are on hold while rivals push ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
It said students would have the chance to combine core academic subjects such as English and maths with a high-quality technical education linked to the jobs available in their area.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
United Airlines approached Delta Air Lines last year about a potential merger to combine the two most valuable U.S. carriers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
They also calculated three polygenic risk scores, which combine thousands of genetic variants associated with inherited Alzheimer's risk.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
The explanation is partly that medieval European printers were able to combine six technological advances, most of which were unavailable to the maker of the Phaistos disk.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Created by Exclusive Ballooning in partnership with Aardman, it combines two of the city's best-known exports - animation and ballooning.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The name combines the Greek words limne, meaning lake, and spondylos, meaning vertebra, while ajimuensis refers to Ajimu.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Joseph A. Gabelli described an approach that combines discounted valuations for companies with additional “catalysts” to send stock prices soaring.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Its policy combines investigation, discipline and mandatory education.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The cells in a drop of blood contain a different sort of molecular factory, the mitochondrion, which combines food with oxygen to extract useful energy.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
But hotel construction, combined with overfishing and pollution, is compounding threats already posed by climate to coral.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
However, the signings of both Duran and Hogh come with a reported combined cost of about £15m, and the pair arrive with Champions League pedigree.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers combined for 13 runs, 23 hits and three home runs Monday at Comerica Park, but the biggest thrills of the game didn’t come from either team’s roster.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Their central supermassive black holes may then have become locked in a gravitational struggle that launched the lightest black hole toward the edge of the combined galaxy.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Behind him there’s a glass-domed building that’s bigger than both the stadiums in New Orleans combined.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
That’s a private customized investment approach designed to reduce losses during market downturns by combining investments in stocks with hedging tools such as options, futures and/or short-selling.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The researchers suggest that combining photo-based tools with traditional methods of evaluating food intake and diet quality could make calorie tracking more accurate in everyday use.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
Despite the court freeze, Paramount and Warner Bros insist that combining their operations is essential to compete with digital streaming giants and tech conglomerates.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“But obviously we can’t talk about, you know, combining companies and that kind of thing on earnings calls. It’s got to be done with the appropriate process.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Stuff is combining and bashing with other stuff.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
