as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combative
In a phone interview Thursday with Fox News Digital, Higby explained the group was sitting and having conversations with nearby protesters when a woman approached him and started being combative.
—
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
But with a combative Trump questioning the very purpose of the UN at his speech before the General Assembly, Beijing has an international audience that may be more receptive to its overtures.
—Jeffrey Prescott, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2025
Neither can throw, and Colelman, who is eager and combative, handles outside curveballs like a man fighting bees.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Some of those protests have turned combative with law enforcement, resulting in tear gas being deployed by officials.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
But with a combative Trump questioning the very purpose of the UN at his speech before the General Assembly, Beijing has an international audience that may be more receptive to its overtures.
—Jeffrey Prescott, Foreign Affairs, 29 Sep. 2025
Neither can throw, and Colelman, who is eager and combative, handles outside curveballs like a man fighting bees.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
Some of those protests have turned combative with law enforcement, resulting in tear gas being deployed by officials.
—Sarah D. Wire, USA Today, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
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The offensive line had five presnap penalties, and allowed four sacks and 11 tackles for loss to an aggressive Lobos defense.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
12 Oct. 2025
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Not only does the quarterback need to be accurate and aggressive, but the play caller needs to dial up ways to create advantageous one-on-one situations and the receivers have to win those chances.—
Derrik Klassen,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But Afghan-Pakistan relations have soured amid an uptick in militant violence against Pakistan.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
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By this time, however, Hamas had already begun to eclipse secular rivals in popularity and Palestinian elections held in 2006 led to a victory for the Islamist militant group, sparking clashes with the PA's leading Fatah faction and Hamas' eventual takeover of the territory the following year.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
By this time, the eastern Roman empire, where Zosimus lived, had been fairly thoroughly Christianized, but Zosimus was a pagan hostile to Christianity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
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The United States plans to upgrade its radars to improve their ability to identify hostile ballistic missiles targeting the homeland, according to a government announcement, as nuclear adversaries Russia, China and North Korea advance their missile capabilities.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Diversity, equity, and inclusion has taken on a life of its own politically, and as with many contentious issues, the state has issued legal guidance on how it must be addressed.—
Grace Tucker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
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The first round of talks between the two sides was contentious.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Corigliano’s symphony is assaultive in style and confrontational in intent.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
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In August, Kelley was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors — one for electronic communications harassment and two for electronic disclosure of personal identifying information — following days of apparent confrontational social media posts allegedly doxxing her friends and family members.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Corigliano’s symphony is assaultive in style and confrontational in intent.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combative. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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