as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
an inveterate belligerency that needs to be addressed by classes in anger management
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of belligerency
Contrary to former President Joe Biden, our co-belligerency is not to make Ukraine safe for democracy.
—
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2025
Furthermore, pursuant to Additional Protocol I, Article 47(1), mercenaries do not qualify as combatants, and as such, cannot benefit from the privilege of belligerency.
—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes,
12 June 2022
The formal and informal Democratic establishment convinced itself that the country had been repelled by Trump’s belligerency in his debate with Biden.
—
Conrad Black,
National Review,
14 Oct. 2020
So all you're left with was this over the top belligerency of the president, which didn't go over well with people.
—
NBC News,
4 Oct. 2020
Credibility requires consistency, not belligerency.
—
Keren Yarhi-Milo,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2017
What Flake doesn’t get is that Trump’s culture war belligerency is the first time many GOP voters feel the party is doing something for them.
—
Jonathan Tamari,
Philly.com,
27 Oct. 2017
This is also the right time to demonstrate to North Korea that we will not be intimidated or blackmailed by Pyongyang's belligerency.
—
chicagotribune.com,
6 Sep. 2017
Bruce Fein,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2025
Furthermore, pursuant to Additional Protocol I, Article 47(1), mercenaries do not qualify as combatants, and as such, cannot benefit from the privilege of belligerency.
—
Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab,
Forbes,
12 June 2022
The formal and informal Democratic establishment convinced itself that the country had been repelled by Trump’s belligerency in his debate with Biden.
—
Conrad Black,
National Review,
14 Oct. 2020
So all you're left with was this over the top belligerency of the president, which didn't go over well with people.
—
NBC News,
4 Oct. 2020
Credibility requires consistency, not belligerency.
—
Keren Yarhi-Milo,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2017
What Flake doesn’t get is that Trump’s culture war belligerency is the first time many GOP voters feel the party is doing something for them.
—
Jonathan Tamari,
Philly.com,
27 Oct. 2017
This is also the right time to demonstrate to North Korea that we will not be intimidated or blackmailed by Pyongyang's belligerency.
—
chicagotribune.com,
6 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerency
Noun
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Ukraine has every right to attack Russia’s military infrastructure that sustains its aggression.
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Issues could include insomnia, aggression, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to psychotropic medication and exacerbation of existing mental illness -- like anxiety, depression and schizophrenia.
Noun
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Dillon Thieneman’s speed Since draft night in April, Thieneman has been lauded for his combination of speed, instincts and aggressiveness.
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This is a lineup structured to thrive with a small-ball approach — high batting average, chaos and aggressiveness on the basepaths, and manufacturing runs.
Noun
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Engelbert has consistently mismanaged the overt physical hostility directed at the league's biggest star.
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Today, however, some experts suggest that explicit displays of racial hostility have become more visible in public spaces.
Cite this Entry
“Belligerency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerency. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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