combative
adjective
com·bat·ive
kəm-ˈba-tiv 
: marked by eagerness to fight or contend
combatively
adverb
combativeness
noun
Examples of combative in a Sentence
When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
Recent Examples on the Web
The hearing quickly became combative, with committee members using their five minutes of questioning to trade jabs about federal policy, assert opinions about education issues and attack one another — including, at times, the witnesses.
—
Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
The combative family dispute is playing out against the backdrop of MAGA politics in Ohio and has become an issue in Miller’s campaign for reelection in what has been considered a solidly Republican congressional seat.
—Pamela Brown, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
The combative congressman has made waves by pushing inflammatory and sometimes false claims on social media that have been called racist, antisemitic or xenophobic.
—Shannon McCaffrey, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Carmen Electra makes her third franchise appearance as a bartender who serves the frustrated star, who, like Weaving, has a combative spat with a mystery caller who turns out to be, naturally, the Ghostface killer.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
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Molly Gibbs, Mercury News, 11 June 2026
The combative family dispute is playing out against the backdrop of MAGA politics in Ohio and has become an issue in Miller’s campaign for reelection in what has been considered a solidly Republican congressional seat.
—Pamela Brown, CNN Money, 10 June 2026
The combative congressman has made waves by pushing inflammatory and sometimes false claims on social media that have been called racist, antisemitic or xenophobic.
—Shannon McCaffrey, AJC.com, 10 June 2026
Carmen Electra makes her third franchise appearance as a bartender who serves the frustrated star, who, like Weaving, has a combative spat with a mystery caller who turns out to be, naturally, the Ghostface killer.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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