as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
bellicose hockey players who seem to spend more time fighting than playing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bellicose
As host of the three-day summit, Abiy’s heads of state guests showed deference by making no mention of his increasingly bellicose calls for sea access — and the indirect threat to Eritrea, its neighbor.
—
Cameron Hudson, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Like the pharaohs and emperors of antiquity, the president weaponizes the past to justify his present actions and future plans, omitting and embellishing events of yesteryear to fit a bellicose agenda.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The Iranian foreign minister’s bellicose words should not be considered mere rhetoric, Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, told us.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Trump’s comments were the latest in a series of recent statements and moves by him and the White House that have sought to dial back his administration’s initially bellicose comments on Pretti’s killing on Saturday in Minneapolis.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Cameron Hudson, semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
Like the pharaohs and emperors of antiquity, the president weaponizes the past to justify his present actions and future plans, omitting and embellishing events of yesteryear to fit a bellicose agenda.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
The Iranian foreign minister’s bellicose words should not be considered mere rhetoric, Vali Nasr, a professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, told us.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Trump’s comments were the latest in a series of recent statements and moves by him and the White House that have sought to dial back his administration’s initially bellicose comments on Pretti’s killing on Saturday in Minneapolis.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellicose
Adjective
-
Family questions police response Sye's other sister told CBS New Baltimore that the officers were too aggressive in their response.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Your 6th House of Health tightens under pressure as the unconscious Moon squares aggressive Mars, presently in your 3rd House of Dialogue, so timing and tone carry extra weight.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Various reform and feminist movements were pushing the regime to soften its militant foreign policy, its oppressive dress codes, and its censorship of civil society.—
Azadeh Moaveni,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
And in Lebanon, Israeli strikes targeting the militant Hezbollah group, an Iranian ally, have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million, according to the Lebanese government.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Preparing well as a team is the Tommies’ primary order of business until the puck is dropped in what is sure to be a hostile environment for the visitors.—
Dean Spiros,
Twin Cities,
18 Mar. 2026
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Later that year, local outlet Washington City Paper also reported on allegations of a hostile work environment under Pettigrew.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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But a newsroom town hall to address questions was marked by what staffers described as belligerent and combative statements.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2026
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After his brother Raúl Castro took power and eased travel restrictions in 2013, that image faded somewhat, though Cuban leaders are still belligerent in particular about the Cuban-American community in South Florida, which has through the years vocally opposed communism on the island.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Ludwig’s distant paternal ancestors were in fact German Jewish merchants, not warlike princes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Oct. 2025
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To many Chicagoans, the warlike atmosphere is the result of the increasing aggression of the federal government.—
Geraldo Cadava,
New Yorker,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bellicose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellicose. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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