as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
the dominant male wolf was able to withstand the belligerence of younger challengers
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of belligerence
Wolff said Xi may not be ready to take Taiwan by force yet as there are other hotspots in the South China Sea where the U.S. potentially would be obliged to intervene against Chinese belligerence, such as the Philippines.
—
John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Emboldened by four years of appeasement policies, the CCP is on the march — escalating its military activities, conducting aggressive drills around Taiwan, and increasing its belligerence in the South China Sea.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 3 Apr. 2025
The country has swung wildly in its hawkishness, from the isolationism of the 1930s to the belligerence of the early 1980s.
—Alexandra Chinchilla, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2025
This is why Australian leaders have focused on the lack of notice rather than accusations of Beijing's belligerence.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Apr. 2025
Emboldened by four years of appeasement policies, the CCP is on the march — escalating its military activities, conducting aggressive drills around Taiwan, and increasing its belligerence in the South China Sea.
—Arthur Herman, National Review, 3 Apr. 2025
The country has swung wildly in its hawkishness, from the isolationism of the 1930s to the belligerence of the early 1980s.
—Alexandra Chinchilla, Foreign Affairs, 20 Mar. 2025
This is why Australian leaders have focused on the lack of notice rather than accusations of Beijing's belligerence.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerence
Noun
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The Ukrainian president conceded that momentum for the Coalition of the Willing, a group of 31 countries that have pledged to strengthen support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, has slowed because of U.S. ambivalence over providing a backstop.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
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These movements share essential elements: disdain for pluralism and diversity, fetishization of leadership, order and aggression, dismissal of the rule of law, and aversion to accountability.—
Elisa Manfredini,
Time,
14 June 2025
Noun
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The hostility of the state intensified with the BBC's 100 Women list, and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.—
Mahrang Baloch,
Time,
10 June 2025
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The hostilities began when Trump lashed out at Musk's criticism of the Republican tax-cut and spending bill, and quickly escalated into an all-out online brawl on Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X, with prominent businessmen, analysts and political names weighing in on the fight.—
Anniek Bao,Dylan Butts,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Belligerence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerence. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
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