as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combative
The controversy has also become an opportunity for the national Democratic party to demonstrate a more combative style to supporters amid new struggles to engage voters and raise money.
—
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Based on interviews conducted by journalist Peter Evans, who was engaged in the late 1980s to write Gardner’s memoirs, the play reanimates the combative and complex conversations between the two.
—Rebecca Bihn-Wallace, Vogue, 20 Aug. 2025
Only 18 months on from his senior debut, the super-combative and mobile 21-year-old has established himself as a key member of coach Ernesto Valverde’s team.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
But his tenure was marked by questionable arrests, too much territory lost to gangs, poorly executed police operations, a combative personality and a slow pace in recruiting new cops.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 23 Aug. 2025
Based on interviews conducted by journalist Peter Evans, who was engaged in the late 1980s to write Gardner’s memoirs, the play reanimates the combative and complex conversations between the two.
—Rebecca Bihn-Wallace, Vogue, 20 Aug. 2025
Only 18 months on from his senior debut, the super-combative and mobile 21-year-old has established himself as a key member of coach Ernesto Valverde’s team.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 15 Aug. 2025
But his tenure was marked by questionable arrests, too much territory lost to gangs, poorly executed police operations, a combative personality and a slow pace in recruiting new cops.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
-
Mid-summer changes to United’s revolving credit facility indicated a switch in strategy, and there was a more aggressive approach in the market following a summit in Iceland between Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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The occurrences grew more aggressive over time, with the Smurls' 75-pound German shepherd getting slammed into a wall and Jack getting attacked while praying.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, after fighters from Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the territory, attacked Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.—
Stephanie van den Berg,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
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The military that took over Burkina Faso in a 2022 coup has grown increasingly intolerant of dissent amid worsening Islamist militant violence in the West African country.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, and prioritizes fossil fuels for electricity.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter took it as a hostile act and approached Prescott, meeting face-to-face with him.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Real World alum and life coach Kelley Wolf plans to attend a treatment center amid her contentious divorce from her estranged husband, Party of Five actor Scott Wolf.—
Ryan Coleman September 2,
EW.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Such a contentious course will never happen as there are many opposed to such a radical move.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The arrest took place after the reality star apparently spent the days prior sharing a series of increasingly confrontational posts to her Instagram, which allegedly doxxed her friends and family members.—
Nicholas Rice,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
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This is the polar opposite of, say, a project designed to be controversial, confrontational and put TIFF on the defensive.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But attorney Gabi Silver, who previously represented one of the men in the original case before Hartig, said the judge made the appropriate call for a low-level, non-assaultive felony case against a client with no prior criminal record.—
Darcie Moran,
Freep.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The record indicates that the instant offense has elements of brutality, violence, assaultive behavior or conscious selection of victim's vulnerability indicating a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, or property of others, such that the offender poses a continuing threat to public safety.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combative. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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