as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
his natural tendency towards contentiousness made him a poor choice for a diplomatic post
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contentiousness
Noun
-
The flame-wielder is a tough match for Mecha Man, necessitating some extrajudicial aggression as Robert lops off two of his opponent’s fingers with a beam saber.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025 -
What's more, the researchers were surprised to find no evidence of the spiders' usual cannibalistic aggression.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Davion Mitchell’s defense and aggressiveness?—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2026
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That aggressiveness defined December.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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One can be sure that the utility of having hostilities with Venezuela for this case is not lost on the administration.—
David Smilde,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
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Before the Chiefs’ Divisional Round win in January 2024, Jones embraced that hostility by jawing with fans during warmups.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In a derby that former Manchester United captain Roy Keane bemoaned for the lack of combativeness and local representation, Khusanov played like a kid from Stockport finally getting to live out his dream of flattening everyone in a red jersey.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
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Republican politicians have canceled meetings or opted to hold them virtually in response to criticism and combativeness from voters, and some Democratic town halls have also been targeted.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contentiousness. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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