as in invaders
one that starts armed conflict against another especially without reasonable cause
a group of smaller states had formed an alliance to deter potential aggressors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of aggressors
Although government officials have claimed that Good and Pretti were both aggressors in their altercations, footage captured by bystanders appeared to contradict those claims.
—
Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
It’s filled to bursting with antioxidants, which create a forcefield around the skin, protecting it from environmental aggressors like pollution and UV, which can dull, clog, and age skin.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 22 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, that means that the moisture barrier can't protect the skin from external aggressors and seal in moisture, contributing to the classic eczema symptoms of red, itchy, scaly, and dry skin.
—Deanna Pai, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
Matin noted other groups that received only muted support from anti-imperialists, including the Yazidis, persecuted by ISIS, and Rohingya, victims of the Myanmar government—in which case the aggressors were not Western hegemons.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
From tipoff Tuesday night, the Jayhawks were the aggressors.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
The Magic are one of the league’s most physical teams, but on Tuesday night, the Wizards were the aggressors from the jump.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Its body oil slash shimmering sunscreen is resistant to water, fights off environmental aggressors that might irritate the skin, and, most importantly, benefits from Sol de Janeiro’s sumptuous Cheirosa 87 scent.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Dec. 2025
Transnational justice can be hijacked, with aggressors trying to portray themselves as victims.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Malia Mendez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
It’s filled to bursting with antioxidants, which create a forcefield around the skin, protecting it from environmental aggressors like pollution and UV, which can dull, clog, and age skin.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 22 Jan. 2026
Ultimately, that means that the moisture barrier can't protect the skin from external aggressors and seal in moisture, contributing to the classic eczema symptoms of red, itchy, scaly, and dry skin.
—Deanna Pai, Allure, 20 Jan. 2026
Matin noted other groups that received only muted support from anti-imperialists, including the Yazidis, persecuted by ISIS, and Rohingya, victims of the Myanmar government—in which case the aggressors were not Western hegemons.
—Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
From tipoff Tuesday night, the Jayhawks were the aggressors.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 14 Jan. 2026
The Magic are one of the league’s most physical teams, but on Tuesday night, the Wizards were the aggressors from the jump.
—Josh Robbins, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Its body oil slash shimmering sunscreen is resistant to water, fights off environmental aggressors that might irritate the skin, and, most importantly, benefits from Sol de Janeiro’s sumptuous Cheirosa 87 scent.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 Dec. 2025
Transnational justice can be hijacked, with aggressors trying to portray themselves as victims.
—Valerie Morkevicius, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggressors
Noun
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An antibody is essentially a microscopic security tag produced by the immune system that can stick to invaders.—
Kwesi Akonu Adom Mensah Forson,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The series is set at Ted Stevens International Airport in Anchorage, Alaska, one of the world’s busiest cargo airports, where staff have to navigate wild weather emergency landings, and animal invaders to do their job.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Nor did their eyes shed tears over the burning library that raiders furnished with the ashes of seven thousand books, which the novelist Mamdouh Azzam had collected over fifty years inside his house in Suwayda.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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The Tofinu took refuge in the lagoons along the Bight of Benin, a core area of the slave trade, venturing forth in canoes with harpoons, javelins, and swords to fight off raiders from powerful nearby kingdoms.—
Laurent Dubois,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Aggressors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggressors. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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