as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
the dominant male wolf was able to withstand the belligerence of younger challengers
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Recent Examples of belligerence
Wolff said Xi may not be ready to take Taiwan by force yet as there are other hotspots in the South China Sea where the U.S. potentially would be obliged to intervene against Chinese belligerence, such as the Philippines.
—
John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Emboldened by four years of appeasement policies, the CCP is on the march — escalating its military activities, conducting aggressive drills around Taiwan, and increasing its belligerence in the South China Sea.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 3 Apr. 2025
The country has swung wildly in its hawkishness, from the isolationism of the 1930s to the belligerence of the early 1980s.
—Alexandra Chinchilla, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2025
This is why Australian leaders have focused on the lack of notice rather than accusations of Beijing's belligerence.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Emboldened by four years of appeasement policies, the CCP is on the march — escalating its military activities, conducting aggressive drills around Taiwan, and increasing its belligerence in the South China Sea.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 3 Apr. 2025
The country has swung wildly in its hawkishness, from the isolationism of the 1930s to the belligerence of the early 1980s.
—Alexandra Chinchilla, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2025
This is why Australian leaders have focused on the lack of notice rather than accusations of Beijing's belligerence.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerence
Noun
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Omar Havana/Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has formally approved the creation of a special international tribunal to prosecute senior Russian officials for the crime of aggression tied to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
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The new body will deal with the crime of aggression, specifically regarding the use of armed force by one state against another.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Fu also singled out Israel and called for efforts to bring an end to the hostilities.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
23 June 2025
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Recent Market Performance Since the start of the current Israel-Iran hostilities on June 13, the S&P 500 has been 1.2% lower.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belligerence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerence. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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