as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
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Recent Examples of combative
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
She was fired by Trump following a series of combative congressional hearings, in which she was questioned about the agency's aggressive immigration enforcement actions, which culminated in the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
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
She was fired by Trump following a series of combative congressional hearings, in which she was questioned about the agency's aggressive immigration enforcement actions, which culminated in the fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 2026
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
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Orbán's nationalist party has become a model for MAGA populists, particularly for its aggressive stance on immigration.—
Hannah Demissie,
ABC News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Florian Wirtz was over aggressive in his initial press and then lacked urgency to help balance out City’s right-side overload, while neither Curtis Jones or Ryan Gravenberch drifted across.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But the response to Alcock in many online corners has been as if the actress went on a militant feminist rant slamming all male fans and threw a massive pity party for herself.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Apr. 2026
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But the regime shows no sign of unraveling, and the people who have replaced senior leaders are known as equally hard-line or arguably even more militant than their predecessors, according to Western officials and experts on Iran.—
Abigail Williams,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Callers told police that after a brief and seemingly hostile interaction with the occupants of the vehicle, the individual left school property and was last seen walking onto Ryan Lane from Edwards Avenue.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
From a technical standpoint, the stock appears to be stabilizing at support just as the macro backdrop becomes less hostile to large-cap technology.—
Tony Zhang,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
County commissioners passed a resolution in support of ICE during a contentious meeting.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Israel’s deadly offensive against Hezbollah has been a contentious point in the uneasy Iran war ceasefire.—
Jennifer Hansler,
CNN Money,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Journalism is often abrasive and confrontational.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Fierce in expression but controlled in form, the 1959 LP draws out a rootsy warmth from beneath the bebop that had consumed bandstands since World War II, forging a sound that feels at once confrontational, mischievous, and generous.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
4 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 11 Apr. 2026.
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