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
Reiner joined the writers’ room, an orderly place at first but eventually the loudest, most combative fourteen-by-twenty enclave in New York.
—
David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
And after combative floor debates throughout the afternoon, Democrats blocked the advancement of a GOP bill to pay federal workers and military personnel during government shutdowns.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Moore speaks for herself in the film – sometimes in combative exchanges with the director.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Remember that not every confrontation needs to be combative.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
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David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
And after combative floor debates throughout the afternoon, Democrats blocked the advancement of a GOP bill to pay federal workers and military personnel during government shutdowns.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Moore speaks for herself in the film – sometimes in combative exchanges with the director.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Remember that not every confrontation needs to be combative.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 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 17 Nov. 2025.
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