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
President Biden spoke with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in a call that was aimed at addressing a variety of combative and cooperative issues, as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises.
—
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Disney shareholders on Wednesday rejected board nominees allied with activist investor Nelson Peltz, ending a combative, months-long proxy battle centered on the company’s navigation of the topsy-turvy onset of the streaming era.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, Commissioner Joe Carollo, famously combative since his first election in 1979, is smarting over a lawsuit accusing him of pursuing a vicious political vendetta against a nightclub owner.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
An investigation revealed that a patron acted belligerent inside the restaurant, was asked to leave and became combative with staff, punching and biting an employee.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
However, Aries can also be impatient and overly combative.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The suit claimed Combs had been combative towards her throughout their relationship.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
The Biden administration has been on an increasingly combative footing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the conduct of Israel’s offensive, which has killed at least 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gazan health officials.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Businessman Bernie Moreno will face Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, this fall after winning Ohio’s combative Republican U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday.
—Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Disney shareholders on Wednesday rejected board nominees allied with activist investor Nelson Peltz, ending a combative, months-long proxy battle centered on the company’s navigation of the topsy-turvy onset of the streaming era.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, Commissioner Joe Carollo, famously combative since his first election in 1979, is smarting over a lawsuit accusing him of pursuing a vicious political vendetta against a nightclub owner.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
An investigation revealed that a patron acted belligerent inside the restaurant, was asked to leave and became combative with staff, punching and biting an employee.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
However, Aries can also be impatient and overly combative.
—Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
The suit claimed Combs had been combative towards her throughout their relationship.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024
The Biden administration has been on an increasingly combative footing with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the conduct of Israel’s offensive, which has killed at least 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gazan health officials.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Businessman Bernie Moreno will face Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, this fall after winning Ohio’s combative Republican U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday.
—Haley Bemiller, USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
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 25 Apr. 2024.
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