as in arrogance
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Recent Examples of cockiness
Robert Romanus, as Damone, would scalp Ozzy Osbourne tickets to his grandmother, and yet deftly treads the tightrope between cockiness and desperation.
—
Gina Friedlande, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Wednesday’s briefing, for example, featured the usual Hegseth hubris, strutting, and cockiness.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Some players exhibit confidence that borders on cockiness.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The great thing is society already embraces cockiness—just not from women.
—Samyra, SELF, 14 Jan. 2026
While the critics howled during that 1-15 season in 1989, Johnson and even his assistants maintained their cockiness and mocked the criticism.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026
Most of the Teds depicted are young—discovering the look, and discovering themselves, in the full flush of masculine cockiness.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025
What everybody loves about Ortegas is that can do mentality and also that cockiness.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
The film has that Scott-ian sleekness (but is really directed by Swedish filmmaker Daniel Espinosa in his Hollywood debut), and Washington rules with his super-chill cockiness.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Gina Friedlande, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026
Wednesday’s briefing, for example, featured the usual Hegseth hubris, strutting, and cockiness.
—Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
Some players exhibit confidence that borders on cockiness.
—Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
The great thing is society already embraces cockiness—just not from women.
—Samyra, SELF, 14 Jan. 2026
While the critics howled during that 1-15 season in 1989, Johnson and even his assistants maintained their cockiness and mocked the criticism.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 12 Jan. 2026
Most of the Teds depicted are young—discovering the look, and discovering themselves, in the full flush of masculine cockiness.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Dec. 2025
What everybody loves about Ortegas is that can do mentality and also that cockiness.
—Adam B. Vary, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
The film has that Scott-ian sleekness (but is really directed by Swedish filmmaker Daniel Espinosa in his Hollywood debut), and Washington rules with his super-chill cockiness.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cockiness
Noun
-
While their energies differ, nearly all of them share the same basic drives (money, power, status) and the same fundamental flaws (greed, arrogance, selfishness).—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their defensive style can look like arrogance or hostility.—
Paul Sanchez Ruiz,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Every generation faces a new wave of technological disruption and responds with the same blend of overconfidence, short-termism, and reluctance to let go of what’s working.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
How many times over two decades have the Canes been tripped up by teams with lesser talent, due to overconfidence and myriad other reasons?—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tormented by her own fears, doubted by her father’s peers, and infantilized by her older sister, Catherine (Ayo Edebiri in her Broadway debut) walks the line between self-confidence and deep distrust.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Demi Moore, who had just come off a seriously stylish awards season campaign for The Substance and who had spoken about all things beauty, aging and self-confidence as part of her promotion for the film, which looked at those topics through a comedic horror lens.—
Nancy Mattia,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Her self-assurance has kept her armored against the backlash and backhanded compliments that have surfaced in some online discourse surrounding her music.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Stylist Sydnee Paige—whose credits include actress Kerry Washington, WNBA player Skylar Diggins, and comedian Ziwe—has been working with Fudd since last September and can already attest to her blooming self-assurance.—
Jordan Robinson,
SELF,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The México 86 producers set out to capture the music, fashions and general brashness of the era.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Carolina did make one addition, trading for fighter Nic Deslauriers, but the brashness the Hurricanes’ front office has shown in recent years didn’t lead to the type of headline-making move seen in recent seasons.—
Cory Lavalette,
New York Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But after being shunned by head coach Thomas Frank, his confidence looks low, a state of mind that wasn’t helped by putting his penalty over the bar in Wales’ World Cup play-off shootout defeat by Bosnia & Herzegovina in March.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Magic will need to continue to play with a high level of confidence Wednesday night for Game 2.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With assurances of an immunity deal, David Wiley met with investigators at his attorney's office.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Such assurances are unlikely to quell the community’s decades-long experience with polluted runoff, however, and small farmers say that runoff could also present a food safety problem and threaten to set back years of organic farming practices.—
Thomas Heaton,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cockiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cockiness. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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