as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
the player became quite belligerent and was thrown out of the game
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in combatant
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belligerent
Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Essentially, people are challenging themselves to concoct the most atrociously belligerent bass in history.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 4 June 2025
Listen to this article Dear Eric: Last year my father’s funeral was ruined because of a rude and disrespectful cemetery security guard, who yelled at and became belligerent with my family for no reason.
—Eric Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2025
Image In pursuit of the presidency, Mr. Simion has muted the belligerent, often xenophobic message that dominated his early career as a public figure, which began with involvement in groups of nationalist soccer fans known as ultras.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Noun
His willpower and determination has warded off advancing age and a T20 belligerent game that was becoming the antithesis of his technical expertise honed from a more sedate era.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Essentially, people are challenging themselves to concoct the most atrociously belligerent bass in history.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 4 June 2025
Listen to this article Dear Eric: Last year my father’s funeral was ruined because of a rude and disrespectful cemetery security guard, who yelled at and became belligerent with my family for no reason.
—Eric Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 May 2025
Image In pursuit of the presidency, Mr. Simion has muted the belligerent, often xenophobic message that dominated his early career as a public figure, which began with involvement in groups of nationalist soccer fans known as ultras.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent
Adjective
-
The tree has aggressive roots that can upend lawn turf and crack pavement.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
-
But the company’s aggressive marketing triggered backlash.—
Queenie Wong,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2025
Noun
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Facing two perennial combatants in the UEFA Champions League’s final stages and the reigning Copa Libertadores winner is a tall task for any fourth team in the field.—
Jeff Rueter,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
-
Its count doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.—
Mohammad Jahjouh,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Islamic State militant group (ISIS) operates both east and west of Iran and has also stepped up operations within the Islamic Republic itself, having claimed the deadliest operation in the nation's post-revolutionary history in January 2024.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
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Bondi also shared that over 1,000 Iranian nationals have entered the country illegally in recent years and said law enforcement agencies are actively investigating them for possible ties to foreign militant groups.—
Elaine Mallon,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
Noun
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The movement's emphasis on the Old Testament is significant, Clarkson said, because in it, major figures are warriors.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
21 June 2025
-
Two years later, Israeli and American cyber warriors introduced Stuxnet, a malicious computer worm that caused thousands of Natanz centrifuges to spin out of control, setting back Iran’s nuclear enrichment.—
Jennifer Griffin,
FOXNews.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Guzman’s book was used as a common reader by several universities in 2024, reflecting ongoing concerns about the often hostile, partisan gaps that have roiled many campuses in recent years.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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In the five years since the events of Jurassic World Dominion, many of the dinosaurs and other formerly extinct creatures that were set free into the world have died off, unable to survive in the modern climate and otherwise hostile environments.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
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His Telegram channel, followed by around half a million users, regularly features narrated footage of drones tracking and killing Russian soldiers.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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The biggest revelation in both movies is that throughout the war Lucas had heroin shipped to the U.S. from Vietnam in coffins containing dead soldiers.—
Steve Bloom,
HollywoodReporter,
24 June 2025
Noun
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This incident comes less than two weeks after a trooper on the Mass Pike was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
24 June 2025
-
Williams was allegedly clocked by the trooper going more than 90 miles per hour and the trooper initiated a traffic stop, according to state police.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Clayton’s case is among several recent incidents to draw scrutiny from local Okinawans include the case of a 25-year-old US serviceman, who in December was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping and raping an underage girl.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
25 June 2025
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Ukrainian media reports said eight Russian servicemen were killed and another 12 were injured.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerent. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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