1
as in aggressiveness
an inclination to fight or quarrel
though the dogs have a reputation for aggression, many of their owners insist they make gentle pets
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in attack
the act or action of setting upon with force or violence
diplomats warned that any aggression by either side could easily turn into a full-scale war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of aggression
Here was the United States, effectively conceding that the Kremlin’s aggression would not be punished.
—
Andrey Kurkov, Time, 15 May 2025
Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion was a continuation of that initial cross-border aggression, with Russian columns surging out of occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk to seize more territory.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 15 May 2025
Kyiv, in turn, refused to cede any land and wants robust security guarantees against future Russian aggression.
—Dasha Litvinova, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
In a joint statement in March, Poland and the three Baltic states announced their withdrawal, arguing for a rethink on which weapons are – and which ones are not – acceptable in the face of Russia’s aggression.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggression
Andrey Kurkov, Time, 15 May 2025
Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion was a continuation of that initial cross-border aggression, with Russian columns surging out of occupied Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk to seize more territory.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 15 May 2025
Kyiv, in turn, refused to cede any land and wants robust security guarantees against future Russian aggression.
—Dasha Litvinova, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025
In a joint statement in March, Poland and the three Baltic states announced their withdrawal, arguing for a rethink on which weapons are – and which ones are not – acceptable in the face of Russia’s aggression.
—Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for aggression
Recent Examples of Synonyms for aggression
Noun
-
But after the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the movie was retooled with a new finale before being released in theaters on June 21, 2002.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
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The Pacers, behind an unrelenting uptempo attack and superior depth, have won the third and fourth quarters in both games, as well as overtime in Game 1.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
24 May 2025
Noun
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Over the nearly 20 months since the hostilities began, Colin Clarke said there has been a radicalization effect in the U.S., particularly of the political left.—
Odette Yousef,
NPR,
28 May 2025
-
Opposition to the war became hostility toward our own military.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Noun
-
Beijing has also softened its regulatory assault on Chinese technology companies and the property sector.—
Jacky Wong,
WSJ,
6 Feb. 2023
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Zelenskyy has warned for weeks that Moscow aims to step up its assault after about two months of virtual stalemate along the front line that stretches across the south and east.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
31 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
The look is in stark defiance of a proliferating security mentality in schools to stop active shooters.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
-
The Pakistan Crescent Collective made a triumphant return to the Cannes Film Market this week, presenting a powerhouse panel that positioned filmmaking as an act of creative defiance against decades of limiting stereotypes.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
22 May 2025
Noun
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The offensive onslaught started with seven runs through two innings, and the Bearcats put the game out of reach by adding seven runs in the fifth inning.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 May 2025
-
The Cruel World onslaught on the Bay Area keeps right on rolling along, with so many acts playing the big ’80s music festival in Pasadena also performing dates up north.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
16 May 2025
Noun
-
The awards ceremony reception was being held outdoors when the fight between two adults led to the stabbing, a Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said in a statement.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 May 2025
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Even when cases of public console hacking have led to protracted legal fights—such as George Hotz's saga with the PS3 or Team Xecuter's Switch jailbreaks—console makers don't seem to have used technical means to completely disable offline functions for specific consoles.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
22 May 2025
Noun
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On Saturday, an employee at one of Smith’s restaurants shared insight into how operations have changed since the increase in raids.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 May 2025
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The Clay County Sheriff’s Office was not informed of the raid ahead of time.—
Sofi Zeman,
Kansas City Star,
16 May 2025
Noun
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The continuous uncertainty, chaos and belligerence created by this man could drive one to drink — and so does the thought of being stuck with him for four whole years.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2025
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Kennedy’s needling belligerence and openness to unpopular views served him well as a skeptic.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Aggression.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aggression. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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