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
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
-
Bart argues that such promotion has a salutary social function, reaching people in underserved communities who might not otherwise be aware that they are entitled to aggressive, contingency-fee advocacy.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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The professional soccer player previously accused Chappell Roan's security of aggressive behavior to his 11-year-old stepdaughter.—
Sharareh Drury,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Israel wants Lebanon's government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, but the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
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But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.—
E. Eduardo Castillo,
Fortune,
12 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
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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
-
Dhillon, an Indian American immigrant who talks often about her Sikh faith, has long cultivated a brash, confrontational streak that has brought her to prominence within the Republican Party.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
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His confrontational rhetoric toward allies and international organizations, along with his affinity for authoritarian leaders such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, has also generated profound distrust.—
Sergio Munoz Bata,
Oc Register,
7 Apr. 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 17 Apr. 2026.
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