combine

combine — verb

1. to take two or more separate items and turn them into a single whole; or for suc

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to take two or more separate items and turn them into a single whole; or for such items to join on their own.

Example

Aiko combined yellow and blue paint to make green for her art project.

combine + noun + and + noun to form a mixture

The two dance groups combined their efforts for the festival performance.

combine + noun to pool resources

Common collocations
  • combine with
  • combine to form
  • combined effect
  • combined with
Synonyms
  • mix

    focuses on stirring or blending ingredients; less formal than combine

  • merge

    implies the separate parts lose their individual identity; stronger than combine

  • blend

    suggests a smooth, harmonious mixture

Antonyms
  • separate

    to keep apart or divide into parts

Grammar Patterns

combine + with + noun

combine + noun + and + noun

combine + to-infinitive

Usage Note

This sense works both transitively (someone combines things) and intransitively (things combine on their own). The intransitive use often describes chemical or natural processes.

Common Mistakes

I will combine together the ingredients.
I will combine the ingredients.
'combine' already means 'bring together', so 'together' is redundant.

2. to possess multiple distinct qualities, features, or characteristics at once.

2.verbtransitive
Definition

to possess multiple distinct qualities, features, or characteristics at once.

Example

Priya's new teaching role combines lesson planning with student mentoring.

combine + noun + with + noun for dual features

The sofa combines modern style with old-fashioned comfort.

Common collocations
  • combine A with B
Synonyms
  • unite

    slightly more formal; often used for abstract qualities

  • possess

    more formal and static; lacks the active sense of bringing together

Grammar Patterns

combine + noun + and + noun

combine + noun + with + noun

Usage Note

Subject of this sense is typically a person, a thing, or an institution that possesses qualities. Unlike sense 1, this does not describe a physical mixing process.

Common Mistakes

A good teacher combines both patience and knowledge.
A good teacher combines patience with knowledge.
'both' is redundant after 'combines'; use 'with' to connect the two qualities.

3. to manage two separate tasks or activities during a single block of time.

3.verbtransitive
Definition

to manage two separate tasks or activities during a single block of time.

Example

Yusuf manages to combine his hospital nursing job with evening music classes.

combine + job + with + activity for multitasking

The travel package combines a beach holiday with guided mountain hikes.

Common collocations
  • combine business with pleasure
  • combine work and family
Synonyms
  • juggle

    informal; suggests difficulty managing multiple tasks

  • balance

    implies giving appropriate attention to each activity

Grammar Patterns

combine + noun + and + noun

combine + noun + with + noun

Usage Note

Common with travel, work, and leisure activities. The two activities are usually different in nature and done within the same timeframe.

Idioms

join/combine forces (with somebody)

idiom

To start working with another person or group toward a common goal.

Maya and her neighbor joined forces to clean up the park.

The two charities combined forces to raise money for the hospital.

combine — noun

Word family

  • combination
    nounB2
  • combined
    adjectiveB2
  • combining
    adjectiveC1
  • combinable
    adjectiveC1
  • combinatorial
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five words describe bringing things together, but they differ in focus. COMBINE is the most general: it simply means putting things together so they form one unit, whether physically (combine ingredients) or abstractly (combine efforts). MIX emphasises stirring or shaking different substances so they become distributed among each other, often losing their individual appearance. BLEND suggests a smooth, harmonious result where the parts work well together, commonly used for flavours, colours, or styles. MERGE is stronger and implies that the separate parts lose their individual identity entirely, typical of companies or lanes of traffic. UNITE focuses on the goal or purpose of coming together, often for a shared aim or cause. JOIN is the simplest and most common in everyday speech, covering both physical connection (join pipes) and social gathering (join a club). For everyday cooking or basic mixing, use mix or blend; for formal or large-scale integration, use merge or unite; for neutral general use, combine and join work in most contexts.

mix ↗blend ↗merge ↗unite ↗join ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • effort
  • forces
  • resources
  • ingredients
  • talents

Adverbs

Phrases

  • combine A and B
  • combine A with B
  • combined effort
  • combined effect

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Combine comes from Latin 'combinare', where 'com-' means 'together' and 'bini' means 'two by two'. The original idea was to join two things into one. It entered English through French in the 1400s, first used for joining or uniting in a general sense. The farm-machine meaning appeared in the 1800s when inventors built a machine that combined the jobs of cutting and threshing grain into a single device.