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
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
But the drive, the bile, the essential, agonistic spirit that powers the greatest rock music and serves as the source of its creativity will almost certainly be lacking.
—Damon Linker, The Week, 4 Sep. 2021
This agonistic version of the fact-value distinction leaves us with an impoverished ideal of social interaction.
—Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 19 Nov. 2020
Serial agonistic attacks by greylag goose families, Anser anser, against the same opponent.
—Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2012
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
But the drive, the bile, the essential, agonistic spirit that powers the greatest rock music and serves as the source of its creativity will almost certainly be lacking.
—Damon Linker, The Week, 4 Sep. 2021
This agonistic version of the fact-value distinction leaves us with an impoverished ideal of social interaction.
—Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 19 Nov. 2020
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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The Dallas Cowboys and team owner Jerry Jones have been very interested in the idea of getting aggressive ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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Unlike their alligator cousins, which are known to occasionally attack people, American crocodiles are shyer and less aggressive.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In the militant revanche of the late Putin era, men are men, women are women, and the men are in charge.—
Julia Ioffe,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
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Pakistan has long accused Kabul of harboring the Pakistani Taliban militant group (known as the TTP), which its Afghan namesake denies.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The mob of rioters grew more hostile and violent, advancing toward agents and began throwing rocks and other objects at agents, including one that struck Chief Greg Bovino in the head.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Afghan refugees like him await their asylum decisions in an increasingly hostile climate marked by ICE raids and deportations.—
Vidushi Mishti Sharma,
Rolling Stone,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The close, caring but contentious relationships among the three Williams women constitute some of the new season’s greatest pleasures.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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The filibuster remains a contentious fixture, shaping negotiations and highlighting deep divisions in Congress.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agonistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agonistic. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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