combine forces

Meaning

This expression means to join together, pool resources, or work collaboratively with another person or group to achieve a common goal. It suggests that by working together, the parties will be stronger and more successful than they would be individually.

Examples

• The two small businesses decided to combine forces to compete with the larger corporation.

  The two small businesses decided to combine forces to compete with the larger corporation.

• If we combine forces, we can finish setting up the party venue in half the time.

  If we combine forces, we can finish setting up the party venue in half the time.

• Local charities are combining forces to raise money for the new community center.

  Local charities are combining forces to raise money for the new community center.

• The marketing and sales departments need to combine forces to launch this product successfully.

  The marketing and sales departments need to combine forces to launch this product successfully.

• Scientists from different countries combined forces to develop the vaccine quickly.

  Scientists from different countries combined forces to develop the vaccine quickly.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ We should combine our strengths forces to win the competition.

  ✓ We should combine forces to win the competition.

  'Combine forces' is a fixed idiomatic collocation. Do not insert extra nouns like 'strengths' inside the idiom.

• ✗ The two teams combined their forces with each other.

  ✓ The two teams combined forces.

  'Combine forces' already implies mutual collaboration, making 'with each other' redundant when the subject is plural.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Let's ___ and work on this project together instead of doing it separately.

  💡 Join together to achieve a goal.

  Show answer

  combine forces

• The two neighborhood associations are planning to ___ to clean up the local park.

  💡 Work together as a unified group.

  Show answer

  combine forces