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
Indeed, the atmosphere turned even more combative in July when Deadline published an article quoting anonymous executives saying studios were willing to let the strike grind on for several more months in an effort to bring the writers to their knees.
—
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Shawn Fain, the combative president of the United Auto Workers union, has threatened to strike any of the three companies that haven’t reached an agreement by the time its contract with the union expires at 11:59 p.m.
—Tom Krisher, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
Such a combative stance would be dangerous, slowing global economic growth while bringing the world’s two most powerful countries into an even more tense relationship.
—Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2023
The transcript shows a combative Mr. Trump, who was named as a defendant in the case alongside his company and three of his children, at times barely allowing lawyers to get a word in.
—William K. Rashbaum, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Shawn Fain, the combative president of the United Auto Workers union, has threatened to strike any of the three companies that hasn’t reached an agreement by the time its contract with the union expires at 11:59 p.m.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023
Alongside his outsize entrepreneurial ventures—Tesla and SpaceX, among them—there is his public persona: charming, puckish, combative, mercurial.
—Arthur Herman, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023
Many of those appearances were not only striking for their substance, but for Giuliani's combative tone and appearance (such as one since-viral moment when what appeared to be hair dye ran down his face during a live press conference).
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023
After the unexpectedly combative meeting in May, town leaders proposed a one-year moratorium on battery permits, which passed last week.
—Gregory Barber, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023
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Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023
Shawn Fain, the combative president of the United Auto Workers union, has threatened to strike any of the three companies that haven’t reached an agreement by the time its contract with the union expires at 11:59 p.m.
—Tom Krisher, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 2023
Such a combative stance would be dangerous, slowing global economic growth while bringing the world’s two most powerful countries into an even more tense relationship.
—Dominic Tierney, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2023
The transcript shows a combative Mr. Trump, who was named as a defendant in the case alongside his company and three of his children, at times barely allowing lawyers to get a word in.
—William K. Rashbaum, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Shawn Fain, the combative president of the United Auto Workers union, has threatened to strike any of the three companies that hasn’t reached an agreement by the time its contract with the union expires at 11:59 p.m.
—Tom Krisher, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2023
Alongside his outsize entrepreneurial ventures—Tesla and SpaceX, among them—there is his public persona: charming, puckish, combative, mercurial.
—Arthur Herman, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023
Many of those appearances were not only striking for their substance, but for Giuliani's combative tone and appearance (such as one since-viral moment when what appeared to be hair dye ran down his face during a live press conference).
—Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2023
After the unexpectedly combative meeting in May, town leaders proposed a one-year moratorium on battery permits, which passed last week.
—Gregory Barber, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2023
See More
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.
Word History
First Known Use
1826, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on combative
Nglish: Translation of combative for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of combative for Arabic Speakers
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