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
When South Carolina’s 62-48 victory ended, Auriemma approached his counterpart, a combative Philadelphian like himself, and there were fireworks.
—
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
At a congressional hearing, a combative Bondi tried to quell the Epstein files controversy.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The hearing At a congressional hearing, a combative Bondi tried to quell the Epstein files controversy.
—Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Bondi was a strident in her combative defense of the president in congressional hearings, but she was embattled over her handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Apr. 2026
At a congressional hearing, a combative Bondi tried to quell the Epstein files controversy.
—ABC News, 3 Apr. 2026
The hearing At a congressional hearing, a combative Bondi tried to quell the Epstein files controversy.
—Jennifer Peltz, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2026
Bondi was a strident in her combative defense of the president in congressional hearings, but she was embattled over her handling of the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
-
Paolo Banchero set the tone early with an aggressive, assertive first half that dictated the flow of the game.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Many were acquired between 2019 and 2022 at elevated valuations and financed with aggressive leverage, assumptions that are now being tested in a higher-rate environment.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Both President Emmanual Macron and the UNIFIL force blamed Hezbollah, but the militant group denied involvement.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon against the militant group Hezbollah, who are close allies of Iran, has been a sticking point in negotiations between Washington and Tehran.—
Spencer Kimball,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Our city workers have consistently risen above the vitriol and accusations of hostile political leaders to do the jobs that our residents expect.—
Venus Molina,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
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While Kirk may have received hostile or threatening messages, including on social media, those were not part of any identified or actionable threat stream monitored by federal authorities, the person told Sganga.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The incident occurred during a contentious period in Minneapolis when the city was the focal point of an immigration enforcement surge and after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal law enforcement.—
Jack Date,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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That strategy, known as windowing, became a more contentious issue after the pandemic when some studios began to reduce the amount of time films were in cinemas before audiences could view them at home.—
Samantha Masunaga,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
King favored a genial, non-confrontational style that critics derided as too easygoing and soft for a news network, but which made his program a natural stop for politicians and entertainers who wanted to make their views known without sparking overt conflict.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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The confrontational visit also comes as Pirro's name has repeatedly been floated as a potential permanent replacement for Pam Bondi as the next attorney general.—
Luke Barr,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Unlawful activity including blocking roads, intentionally creating hazards and assaultive behavior will not be tolerated.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
2 Mar. 2026
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Chief Judge James Boasberg ruled in two more surge cases involving Paul Nguyen and Nathalie Rose Jones, each accused of assaultive or threatening conduct during summer protests.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combative. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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