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
Fed up with Tony’s bellicose style and an unwillingness to meaningfully negotiate, Deerfield Beach would have to start its own police force and fire-rescue service — a major undertaking that will take two years.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Hussey doesn’t believe the Gabba is more hostile than other Australian grounds, particularly the 80,000-seater Melbourne Cricket Ground, once famed for its notoriously bellicose ‘Bay 13’.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2025
Political analysts also warn that Georgia has aligned with an increasingly bellicose Russia.
—Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
So, despite the bellicose rhetoric often emanating from the White House and Capitol Hill, don’t be surprised if the two sides reach a pragmatic deal.
—semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026
Hussey doesn’t believe the Gabba is more hostile than other Australian grounds, particularly the 80,000-seater Melbourne Cricket Ground, once famed for its notoriously bellicose ‘Bay 13’.
—James Wallace, New York Times, 3 Dec. 2025
Political analysts also warn that Georgia has aligned with an increasingly bellicose Russia.
—Dan Bilefsky, HollywoodReporter, 12 Nov. 2025
So, despite the bellicose rhetoric often emanating from the White House and Capitol Hill, don’t be surprised if the two sides reach a pragmatic deal.
—semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellicose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellicose
Adjective
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Some of the city's narrow streets fell victim to the aggressive snow totals, leaving residents with little wiggle room to get around it.—
Andrew Ramos,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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The agency’s aggressive tactics this past year – especially when agents make their presence known in public areas in or near an employer, such as a parking lot – have had a chilling effect on businesses in areas where ICE has been operating.—
Jeanne Sahadi,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Chief Minister of Balochistan Sarfraz Bugti said 17 law enforcement personnel and 31 civilians were killed in the militant attacks.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
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The militant raids began early Saturday at locations across Balochistan and left 18 civilians, including five women and three children, and 15 security personnel dead, authorities said.—
Abdul Sattar,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The program put on by the Star Tribune held a four-hour session for local journalists, which included hostile environment awareness and first aid training designed to help students make informed decisions about safety while reporting in volatile situations.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
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Three former employees who worked under Carol Johnson, Austin’s first Civil Rights Officer, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday alleging racial discrimination, retaliation and a hostile work environment within the city’s Office of Civil Rights.—
Chaya Tong,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But his belligerent foreign policy once again overshadowed his attempts at a cohesive economic message.—
Danielle Kurtzleben,
NPR,
21 Jan. 2026
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Lately, the president has revisited his preoccupation with annexing Greenland in an increasingly belligerent manner.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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 5 Feb. 2026.
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