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
Those two words sit at the heart of a labor fight between players and owners that may soon grow more combative.
—
Evan Drellich, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Lieberman noted, though, that a more combative relationship between City Hall and the White House could come with an upside.
—Dan Greene, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Derek is the opposite of Holly—annoying, combative, with none of the youngest Wheeler kid’s sunny disposition—but Vecna has chosen them both to open gates between his world and theirs, similar to Chrissy and Max in Season 4.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
Neal developed a reputation as an adept bureaucratic salesman, but one with a sometimes combative style.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
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Evan Drellich, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Lieberman noted, though, that a more combative relationship between City Hall and the White House could come with an upside.
—Dan Greene, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Derek is the opposite of Holly—annoying, combative, with none of the youngest Wheeler kid’s sunny disposition—but Vecna has chosen them both to open gates between his world and theirs, similar to Chrissy and Max in Season 4.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 28 Nov. 2025
Neal developed a reputation as an adept bureaucratic salesman, but one with a sometimes combative style.
—Sean Patrick Cooper, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.
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