combative
adjective
com·bat·ive
kəm-ˈba-tiv 
: marked by eagerness to fight or contend
combatively
adverb
combativeness
noun
Synonyms
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
Dominique and Bryton, who share a … combative flirting style, immediately hit it off.
—
Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 7 June 2024
To support the idea that L.J. was combative, White provided a copy of a screenshot taken from a school chat forum in which the boy cursed at his schoolmates.
—Molly Parker, ProPublica, 5 June 2024
During combative cross-examination, Trump’s lawyers sought to paint Daniels as a liar and extortionist who’s trying to take down the former president after drawing money and fame from her claims.
—Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 10 May 2024
The Biden administration has been careful to distinguish between Petro’s rhetoric, which is often combative, and his actions, which so far have fallen within accepted bounds.
—Michael Shifter, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for combative 
Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 7 June 2024
To support the idea that L.J. was combative, White provided a copy of a screenshot taken from a school chat forum in which the boy cursed at his schoolmates.
—Molly Parker, ProPublica, 5 June 2024
During combative cross-examination, Trump’s lawyers sought to paint Daniels as a liar and extortionist who’s trying to take down the former president after drawing money and fame from her claims.
—Jake Offenhartz, Fortune, 10 May 2024
The Biden administration has been careful to distinguish between Petro’s rhetoric, which is often combative, and his actions, which so far have fallen within accepted bounds.
—Michael Shifter, Foreign Affairs, 13 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for combative
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'combative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 16 Jun. 2024.
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