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
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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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The permits that both companies have received to test and operate their self-driving vehicles became a contentious issue in the lead up to the listings.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
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The three faced off in two contentious debates in October, in which Mamdani and Cuomo sparred over issues of integrity and experience while Sliwa sought to paint them as two sides of the same ideological coin.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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Even leaving these facts aside, neither the doctrinaire socialism nor militant Islam have ever improved any place on earth, and New York City will not be the first.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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He was held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group in Gaza allied with Hamas which also held Israeli hostages during the war.—
Jeremy Diamond,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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That tone—of pain, of surprise, of a stubborn refusal to be reduced or diminished—is everywhere in it.—
Questlove,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
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If the stain is stubborn, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and vinegar mixture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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There are guns, horses, ghosts, a primal struggle for survival in hostile terrain, family feuds and a steadily intensifying sense of mortal threat, as Old Porch’s ambition and psychopathy escalate the drama.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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Fire department suffering low morale When Washington was fired, City Manager Sheryl Long blamed him for creating a hostile work environment for female firefighters and for failing to improve the department's workplace culture.—
Aaron Valdez,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Nov. 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 9 Nov. 2025.
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