as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
the player became quite belligerent and was thrown out of the game
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in combatant
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belligerent
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Everyone seemed white, and every man other than the fathers and the very old seemed belligerent.
—Michael Thomas, New Yorker, 19 July 2025
Another man told the belligerent passenger not to speak disrespectfully to women.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
The entire message was couched in the language of patriotism — but a belligerent, us-versus-them version of it.
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Noun
Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former central banker, called a snap election as his Liberal Party surged in the polls in the face of Trump's belligerent comments about Canada.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Everyone seemed white, and every man other than the fathers and the very old seemed belligerent.
—Michael Thomas, New Yorker, 19 July 2025
Another man told the belligerent passenger not to speak disrespectfully to women.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 July 2025
The entire message was couched in the language of patriotism — but a belligerent, us-versus-them version of it.
—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerent
Adjective
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The former Calle 13 member impresses her sensitivity to this piece, originally written by Orlando Brito and popularized in 1975 by the great Héctor Lavoe, giving it new life with her powerful, dramatic voice, accompanied by street guitars and harsh, aggressive chords that captivate the listener.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
15 Aug. 2025
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Poor oral hygiene allows plaque bacteria to produce acids that contribute to decay, while aggressive brushing can physically wear away the enamel surface.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Its figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants and cannot be independently verified by TIME.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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In war, the deaths of civilians and combatants are unfortunately inevitable.—
Paul L. Newman,
New York Daily News,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While some agree with early views of student protestors that Israel is carrying out a campaign of cruelty and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, others insist Hamas, the militant group in control of the region, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, sparking the war, is solely responsible for the suffering.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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Videos released by the militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad last week showed hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in a visibly fragile state – images that galvanized a forceful reaction both at home and abroad.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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As Hawaiian royal and famed warrior Kaʻiana, Momoa is playing an amalgamation of recognizable Aquaman–Khal Drogo–Duncan Idaho traits in a series that fashions itself after epics like Game of Thrones with feuding factions and fantastical gods.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
1 Aug. 2025
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And shouldn’t that be seen as more of a problem for our warrior?—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
31 July 2025
Adjective
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In recent weeks, both have also moved military forces to the border near Assab and are engaging in escalating exchanges of hostile rhetoric.—
Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, Trump has moved closer to Pakistan, with which India has hostile relations and the U.S. has historically had a complex and sometimes tense relationship, especially as Pakistan has grown closer to and is primarily armed by China.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In 1961: After a decree by the Volkskammer, East German soldiers began installing a barbed wire barrier through Berlin.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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As Tetyana weeps, the soldier gently admonishes her fuss.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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In 2003, Texas Republicans also tried to redraw maps three years after Census data was released, prompting state Democrats to retreat to a Holiday Inn in Oklahoma, just over the state line from Texas and out of reach of troopers who could force them to return.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
10 Aug. 2025
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The Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed state troopers were investigating the crash near milepost marker 150.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Still entombed in the ice is the wreckage of the military plane—along with the bodies of 32 servicemen—that Arnold was searching for in 1947.—
Mike Bezemek,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 July 2025
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In 2014, four Air Force servicemen were killed after a flock of Canadian geese reportedly flew through their helicopter’s windshield, knocking the pilot and copilot unconscious.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belligerent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerent. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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