combative
adjective
com·bat·ive
kəm-ˈba-tiv 
: marked by eagerness to fight or contend
combatively
adverb
combativeness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of combative in a Sentence
When the police tried to arrest him, he became combative.
channeling his naturally combative impulses into sports
Recent Examples on the Web
Rat Sound gear was specially constructed to survive the sometimes punishing environment of a combative punk rock show.
—
Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
But their law firms said no, a nod to the fact that the nation’s most prominent white-collar practices have no interest in taking on such a controversial and combative client as Trump.
—Perry Stein, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
The GOP Senate candidate in Arizona, whose brand is a combative, never-back-down MAGA politics, has adopted a position on the issue that is nearly indistinguishable from that of double-talking Democrats.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 14 Apr. 2024
Karen, a middle-aged man with a face deeply lined with resilience and pain, recalls a combative past and bemoans a chaotic present.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
President Biden spoke with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in a call that was aimed at addressing a variety of combative and cooperative issues, as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Disney shareholders on Wednesday rejected board nominees allied with activist investor Nelson Peltz, ending a combative, months-long proxy battle centered on the company’s navigation of the topsy-turvy onset of the streaming era.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, Commissioner Joe Carollo, famously combative since his first election in 1979, is smarting over a lawsuit accusing him of pursuing a vicious political vendetta against a nightclub owner.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
An investigation revealed that a patron acted belligerent inside the restaurant, was asked to leave and became combative with staff, punching and biting an employee.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
Steve Appleford, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
But their law firms said no, a nod to the fact that the nation’s most prominent white-collar practices have no interest in taking on such a controversial and combative client as Trump.
—Perry Stein, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
The GOP Senate candidate in Arizona, whose brand is a combative, never-back-down MAGA politics, has adopted a position on the issue that is nearly indistinguishable from that of double-talking Democrats.
—Rich Lowry, National Review, 14 Apr. 2024
Karen, a middle-aged man with a face deeply lined with resilience and pain, recalls a combative past and bemoans a chaotic present.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
President Biden spoke with Xi Jinping, China’s leader, in a call that was aimed at addressing a variety of combative and cooperative issues, as the United States grapples with wars and other global crises.
—Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Disney shareholders on Wednesday rejected board nominees allied with activist investor Nelson Peltz, ending a combative, months-long proxy battle centered on the company’s navigation of the topsy-turvy onset of the streaming era.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 3 Apr. 2024
Meanwhile, Commissioner Joe Carollo, famously combative since his first election in 1979, is smarting over a lawsuit accusing him of pursuing a vicious political vendetta against a nightclub owner.
—Susan Merriam, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2024
An investigation revealed that a patron acted belligerent inside the restaurant, was asked to leave and became combative with staff, punching and biting an employee.
—Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'combative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near combative
Cite this Entry
“Combative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/combative. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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