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
In the other video, Porter was being unnecessarily combative with a reporter who was asking normal follow up questions until Porter ended the interview in annoyance.
—
Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 14 May 2026
Fernandez was combative when asked if there was any long-term concern about the injury.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
In Congress, Katie Porter’s blunt, combative style helped rocket her to progressive stardom.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Attenborough, more than anybody, has established the link between the patch of glass in our living rooms and the wide world beyond—which, thanks to him, is revealed to be wider, weirder, and more combative than anyone could have conceived.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
Matt Fleming, Oc Register, 14 May 2026
Fernandez was combative when asked if there was any long-term concern about the injury.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026
In Congress, Katie Porter’s blunt, combative style helped rocket her to progressive stardom.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
Attenborough, more than anybody, has established the link between the patch of glass in our living rooms and the wide world beyond—which, thanks to him, is revealed to be wider, weirder, and more combative than anyone could have conceived.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for combative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combative
Adjective
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That process can miss aggressive lesions in their earliest stages or lead to unnecessary procedures for harmless spots.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
25 May 2026
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Expect Polish, Italian, Brazilian, and Filipino legislators to lean on Magnifica Humanitas as cover for AI labor-protection legislation that looked aggressive a week ago.—
Gabriel Alin Zainescu,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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The militant organization Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), which demands independence from Pakistan’s central government, has claimed responsibility for the attack.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
24 May 2026
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Further symbols associated with neo-Nazism and militant accelerationism were found at the scene of the shooting, including a flag with a Sonnenrad on it and a gas can with SS bolts drawn on it, according to sources.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
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That means unlocking our vast energy resources, expanding production, building pipelines, approving infrastructure and increasing exports to allies who need reliable alternatives to hostile regimes.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
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The one major exception is agriculture — and that policy has historical roots dating back to World War II, when the Swiss learned the hard way that food security matters for small countries surrounded by hostile powers.—
Richard W. Rahn,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Adjective
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Two questions about the wisdom of mandatory minimum sentences — a very contentious topic in legal circles — yielded only brief responses.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
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With the primary season wrapping up across the country, the contentious race in Michigan is increasingly seen as a test case for where the party and its base are headed into the November election and beyond.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Washington’s increasingly confrontational posture toward Europe, including tariff threats, disputes over technology regulation, and pressure tied to energy exports during the Hormuz crisis, has produced real economic and political consequences across the Atlantic.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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And if things get confrontational, nuclear power plants may not be the only territorial markers spacefaring nations put down.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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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 29 May. 2026.
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