as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
clearly a writer with a chip on his shoulder, he's very agonistic even when stating indisputable facts
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Recent Examples of agonistic
Figure 1 Dominance hierarchy, agonistic behaviour, and physiological correlates in male captive kea at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve.
—
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Ong used the word agonistic; oral cultures are competitive.
—Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
Many owners in the city feel stuck—the dog is trigger stacked from the urban environment and more likely to have agonistic reactions towards other dogs as a result.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025
The kitchen remains bloody and agonistic, demanding the preparation of yet another family meal.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023
The agonistic, Faulknerian circumstances fill the house with awful silences.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
Serial agonistic attacks by greylag goose families, Anser anser, against the same opponent.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Ong used the word agonistic; oral cultures are competitive.
—Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, 22 Feb. 2026
Many owners in the city feel stuck—the dog is trigger stacked from the urban environment and more likely to have agonistic reactions towards other dogs as a result.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Sep. 2025
The kitchen remains bloody and agonistic, demanding the preparation of yet another family meal.
—E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023
The agonistic, Faulknerian circumstances fill the house with awful silences.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
Serial agonistic attacks by greylag goose families, Anser anser, against the same opponent.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agonistic
Adjective
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Gone was the meek servant child, replaced by a confident woman who remained composed during aggressive cross-examination.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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The new reality finds those legacy players, with the single exception of Disney, playing defense as tech’s flywheel spins faster, and their pursuit of TV ad dollars becomes even more aggressive.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Analysts who followed Syria's civil war and militant groups in the region say ISIS was at one point a serious political rival to the more nationalist TIP.—
Emily Feng,
NPR,
17 May 2026
-
Al-Mainuki was born in 1982 in Mainok, or Mainuki, a village in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno, the heart of an insurgency crisis following the formation of the Boko Haram militant group around 2009.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
And Roosevelt explained in his summer radio addresses of 1941 that if the Germans win the war, the United States becomes an island within the world, with hostile empires dominating most of the world’s landmass.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
20 May 2026
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Steward filed a complaint with human resources on June 30, alleging a hostile work environment.—
Ben Wheeler
May 20,
Kansas City Star,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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James Ward Thursday night’s California governor debate underscored just how unsettled — and contentious — the race has become, with candidates repeatedly clashing over crime, election integrity, reproductive rights, and the balance of power between state and local government.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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The most contentious and controversial being some very pointed criticisms of Ole Miss, his former school.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonistic. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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