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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belligerence
The belligerence coming from Washington right now makes the post-9/11 noise from the Bush 43 crowd come off as restrained.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
Ramírez arrived in Amman at the moment when the fedayeen groups were at the height of their power and belligerence, and the kingdom was teetering on the brink of all-out conflict.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
The encounter by Canadian aircraft monitoring these vessels with Chinese aircraft points to both Beijing’s backing of the secretive state and its belligerence in the wider region.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
At the same time, observers in Washington and Seoul have become hopeful that growing public support in South Korea for developing an independent nuclear deterrent might provide Beijing with another compelling reason to renew its efforts to restrain the North’s belligerence.
—Shuxian Luo, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
Philip Elliott, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
Ramírez arrived in Amman at the moment when the fedayeen groups were at the height of their power and belligerence, and the kingdom was teetering on the brink of all-out conflict.
—Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
The encounter by Canadian aircraft monitoring these vessels with Chinese aircraft points to both Beijing’s backing of the secretive state and its belligerence in the wider region.
—Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025
At the same time, observers in Washington and Seoul have become hopeful that growing public support in South Korea for developing an independent nuclear deterrent might provide Beijing with another compelling reason to renew its efforts to restrain the North’s belligerence.
—Shuxian Luo, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerence
Noun
-
This is a deliberate choice of aggression when diplomacy and security were within reach.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Don’t yell at your cat or punish it, as this can lead to aggression and other behavioral problems.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Trotter said that aggressiveness is intentional, particularly as a blitzer.—
Zach Sweet,
Kansas City Star,
25 Feb. 2026
-
But Allar didn’t play well in six games as a senior, struggling with inconsistency and aggressiveness.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Chinese renewables manufacturers currently face huge uncertainty — and often hostility — while doing business in Europe.—
Xiaoying You,
semafor.com,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The conflict, known as the Troubles, began after civil rights protestors in Northern Ireland were met with hostility by authorities in 1969.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belligerence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerence. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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