as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a seafarer's legend that the remote island was inhabited by a warlike and uncivilized tribe
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of warlike
China is constantly searching for opportunities to take bits of territory and catch its opponent by surprise, without taking overt warlike actions.
—
Brahma Chellaney, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2021
Writing in the journal Current Biology, researchers from Harvard University found that male bonobos actually engage in three times the amount of mano-a-mano combat than their more warlike cousin, the chimpanzee.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 5 June 2024
In daytime, younger men engage in ferocious warlike dances and combative ceremonial dialogues that spark more commentary from the smiling oldsters.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
The inclusion of protest songs and the desire of the local community together to fight off the invaders is imbued with warlike determination and revolutionary zeal.
—Martin Dale, Variety, 17 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for warlike
Brahma Chellaney, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2021
Writing in the journal Current Biology, researchers from Harvard University found that male bonobos actually engage in three times the amount of mano-a-mano combat than their more warlike cousin, the chimpanzee.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 5 June 2024
In daytime, younger men engage in ferocious warlike dances and combative ceremonial dialogues that spark more commentary from the smiling oldsters.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
The inclusion of protest songs and the desire of the local community together to fight off the invaders is imbued with warlike determination and revolutionary zeal.
—Martin Dale, Variety, 17 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for warlike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warlike
Adjective
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Potential Fed chair David Zervos backs an aggressive rate cut.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
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Poor oral hygiene allows plaque bacteria to produce acids that contribute to decay, while aggressive brushing can physically wear away the enamel surface.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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While some agree with early views of student protestors that Israel is carrying out a campaign of cruelty and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, others insist Hamas, the militant group in control of the region, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, sparking the war, is solely responsible for the suffering.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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Videos released by the militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad last week showed hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in a visibly fragile state – images that galvanized a forceful reaction both at home and abroad.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In recent weeks, both have also moved military forces to the border near Assab and are engaging in escalating exchanges of hostile rhetoric.—
Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Aug. 2025
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But the Trump administration's hostile posture toward renewable energy and climate policy has brought volatility and slower growth.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Warlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warlike. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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