as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a seafarer's legend that the remote island was inhabited by a warlike and uncivilized tribe
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of warlike
China is constantly searching for opportunities to take bits of territory and catch its opponent by surprise, without taking overt warlike actions.
—
Brahma Chellaney, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2021
Writing in the journal Current Biology, researchers from Harvard University found that male bonobos actually engage in three times the amount of mano-a-mano combat than their more warlike cousin, the chimpanzee.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 5 June 2024
In daytime, younger men engage in ferocious warlike dances and combative ceremonial dialogues that spark more commentary from the smiling oldsters.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
The inclusion of protest songs and the desire of the local community together to fight off the invaders is imbued with warlike determination and revolutionary zeal.
—Martin Dale, Variety, 17 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for warlike
Brahma Chellaney, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2021
Writing in the journal Current Biology, researchers from Harvard University found that male bonobos actually engage in three times the amount of mano-a-mano combat than their more warlike cousin, the chimpanzee.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 5 June 2024
In daytime, younger men engage in ferocious warlike dances and combative ceremonial dialogues that spark more commentary from the smiling oldsters.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
The inclusion of protest songs and the desire of the local community together to fight off the invaders is imbued with warlike determination and revolutionary zeal.
—Martin Dale, Variety, 17 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for warlike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warlike
Adjective
-
Maritz has been aggressive in challenges and positive with pushing forward into attack.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
-
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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The Israeli leader has repeatedly said Hamas must be disarmed, but it is thought that this is something that the militant group has so far refused to discuss.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
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
Cite this Entry
“Warlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warlike. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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