close combat
Fighting at arm's-reach
Close combat is fighting at very short range—hand-to-hand or with knives, bayonets, and similar weapons.
Military contexts distinguish it from engagements at distance with firearms or artillery.
The term appears in martial arts, video games, and military training: The soldiers trained in close combat techniques.
Also called close-quarters combat.
- infightingRivalry within one organization
- meleeDisordered group skirmish
- hand to handDirect physical combat
- clinchSettle beyond doubt
- brawlingFighting noisily in public
street fight · Kali · corps-à-corps · wrestling · bayonet charge · boxing · knife fight · edged weapons · knife edge · trench warfare · in the trenches · urban warfare · grappling · bare knuckle · martial arts · swordsmanship · defensive maneuvers · point blank
- infantry tacticsfire and maneuver, flanking maneuver, battle drills, defensive positions, ambush tactics
- warfarebattle, attack, war, armed conflict, military strategy
- combat sportsboxing, wrestling, MMA, judo, karate
- fightsfight, brawl, scuffle, scrap, tussle
- combatbattle, fight, grappling, defend, striking
- combat drillsbayonet charge, military drill, precision drill, basic training, drill commands
close combatartillery bombardment
Sustained heavy weapons fire
long-range · distance · aerial bombardment · remote · indirect fire
close combatdrone warfare
Military strikes using pilotless aircraft
cyber warfare · electronic warfare · strategic bombing · economic warfare · psychological warfare
close, combat, closed, closing, closer, enclose, disclose, closely, closure