as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combative
To clarify, a warrior mindset has nothing to do with being combative, aggressive or confrontational.
—
Chris Harris, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Johnson told me that many of his patients are now skeptical of his advice, if not openly combative.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025
Opening the doors for real, meaningful interactions will be essential for both sides to gain a clearer and more complete understanding of one another, ensuring a less combative future.
—Zichen Wang, semafor.com, 16 June 2025
But spiraling events triggered by the Trump administration’s recent forceful immigration enforcement tactics, including in Los Angeles and Chicago, could turn a politically contentious debate far more combative.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Chris Harris, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
Johnson told me that many of his patients are now skeptical of his advice, if not openly combative.
—Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 17 June 2025
Opening the doors for real, meaningful interactions will be essential for both sides to gain a clearer and more complete understanding of one another, ensuring a less combative future.
—Zichen Wang, semafor.com, 16 June 2025
But spiraling events triggered by the Trump administration’s recent forceful immigration enforcement tactics, including in Los Angeles and Chicago, could turn a politically contentious debate far more combative.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
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Turkeys may become aggressive and territorial if comfortable in suburban areas.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
10 July 2025
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And signs have emerged that the White House may be misreading Trump’s election mandate and the political moment, with new polls showing public sentiment turning nationwide on the president’s increasingly aggressive enforcement tactics.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas demands of guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction.—
WAFAA SHURAFA,
arkansasonline.com,
6 July 2025
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Western audiences absorb coverage of militant acts by a narrow segment of the Palestinian population while the intellect and insights of the rest are largely ignored by disinterested media institutions.—
Micah Danney,
New York Daily News,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Forced to work in a more hostile environment than.when it was first established in 2019, the mission faces limited options for evacuations due to the ongoing suspension of international commercial flights, and mobility, because of gangs’ ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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From retail shops to corner bodegas and independent grocery stores, the past few years have not only forced small business owners to confront staggering economic challenges, but also a needlessly hostile regulatory environment brought on by out-of-touch policymakers.—
Tosha Miller,
New York Daily News,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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Hearing From The Other Side Like most important aspects of life, there are two sides to this contentious coin.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
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One of the more contentious aspects of passing the bill was what to do with the cap on state and local tax deductions, or the SALT cap.—
Alicia Adamczyk,
Fortune,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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The record indicates that the instant offense has elements of brutality, violence, assaultive behavior or conscious selection of victim's vulnerability indicating a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, or property of others, such that the offender poses a continuing threat to public safety.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
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The effect is assaultive but clever, jolting listeners’ reflexes and then toying with their attention.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combative. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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