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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Recent Examples of belligerence
But the real change might be in East Asia, where Kim’s belligerence and rising fears regarding China’s designs on self-ruling Taiwan had already reenergized the nuclear debate.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Mar. 2026
Having worked with people of all types, with agenda’s, belligerence, ultimately, short of a mental illness, there’s a way to get things done with people who think differently, etc.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Balich and other Olympic leaders already have their hands full maintaining order at a time of rising belligerence.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
The belligerence is likely to only grow as Republicans relish the opportunity to grill longtime political foes under oath.
—Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
Charlie Campbell, Time, 28 Mar. 2026
Having worked with people of all types, with agenda’s, belligerence, ultimately, short of a mental illness, there’s a way to get things done with people who think differently, etc.
—Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Feb. 2026
Balich and other Olympic leaders already have their hands full maintaining order at a time of rising belligerence.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 5 Feb. 2026
The belligerence is likely to only grow as Republicans relish the opportunity to grill longtime political foes under oath.
—Stephen Groves, Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for belligerence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for belligerence
Noun
-
For her, this was practically homicidal aggression.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series).—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Embiid’s aggressiveness early — along with Tyrese Maxey’s speed and ability to put defenders in bad positions — put the Knicks in unfavorable foul trouble early.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
The team with the league’s highest payroll going down in the first round to a heavy underdog is bad for business, but Allen changed the entire dynamic with his defensive aggressiveness and rebounding.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
As this sequence plays out, the social fabric further shreds and unravels; trust circles shrink and become ever more homogeneous; and hostility, mean spiritedness, and a general hardening take hold in society.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
-
The president did send a letter to Congress, just to recap, saying that hostilities have been terminated, given the ceasefire that was put in place on April 7th.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Belligerence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belligerence. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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