1
as in controversial
given to arguing
he's too argumentative to be part of a project in which teamwork is critical
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
an argumentative gang of bullies always looking for a fight
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in contentious
relating to or causing the expression of opposing opinions
a topic that sparked more than a few argumentative conversations around the watercooler
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of argumentative
The staff argues with you The customer might not always be right, but experts say an argumentative staff member could be a sign of poor service standards and a breakdown among the team.
—
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2025
According to Fort Worth police, Rodriguez, 53, was assaulted by an argumentative young patron in his restaurant, 4400 Benbrook Highway.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 July 2025
The false report came after an argumentative text message exchange between Alford and the woman that was sent while Alford was drinking, Ermine wrote.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2025
Totting up working hours places us on Musk’s argumentative terrain.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for argumentative
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2025
According to Fort Worth police, Rodriguez, 53, was assaulted by an argumentative young patron in his restaurant, 4400 Benbrook Highway.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 July 2025
The false report came after an argumentative text message exchange between Alford and the woman that was sent while Alford was drinking, Ermine wrote.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 9 May 2025
Totting up working hours places us on Musk’s argumentative terrain.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for argumentative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for argumentative
Adjective
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As my colleague Sam McDowell noted last month, the Chiefs’ have a short-yardage play that’s more effective than the Eagles’ controversial Tush Push.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Mamdani initially tried to stay on-message, offering a quick disavowal of an unsavory association or controversial past statement and pivoting back his agenda.—
Ben Adler,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of the aggressive tactics used by Border Patrol and ICE, including against US citizens.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Chiefs were again aggressive on fourth down — and successful at stopping them, too.—
Scott Chasen,
Kansas City Star,
2 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Sia's contentious divorce just reached a whole new level of acrimony.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Before the vote, Mueller engaged in a contentious exchange with Canepa over the appointment route.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Israel says the militant group can access the remains of most of the hostages.—
Maayan Lubell,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Israel launched its war on Hamas after the October 7, 2023, terror attacks in which the militant group and its allies killed more than 1,200 people and took 251 hostages to Gaza.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The White House’s approach to social media now resembles the polemical, trolling, vicious manner of posting that Fuentes and his fans helped pioneer.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
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The priest’s denunciations of violence against the New World’s darker people perfected a polemical style based not on revelation or appeals to authority but the power of personal witness.—
Greg Grandin
September 23,
Literary Hub,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Heading into a hostile environment at the Rogers Centre, the Dodgers must defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in Games 6 and 7 to clinch their second-straight World Series title.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Plot details are very hazy, but the word on the street is that the story centers on a ne’er-do-well smuggler who finds himself in the middle of a deadly double-cross while on a job in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in him surrounded by bodies, hostile mercenaries and thirsty sharks alike.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That individual brilliance which can produce a moment of magic to break open a stubborn defence is harder to come by.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Be sure to pay extra attention to stubborn stains.—
Jennifer Beck Goldblatt,
Architectural Digest,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Argumentative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/argumentative. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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